Silent Sentinel
by Serendipity.now
Summary: One morning, Josie wakes up to find herself in the Vampire Diaries. When she can't escape, she keeps her true identity a secret, trying to save people from the sidelines. But how long before she gets pulled in and becomes part of the story herself? Taking on Damon and the tomb vampires is just the first step. How will she fare when she faces off against the Original Hybrid?
1. The Pilot

**Summary: Josie is a normal girl from our world who wakes up in the world of the Vampire Diaries. I say she's normal, but there is going to be one thing supernatural about her. It's tied into why she was brought to TVD (which will be revealed eventually, though I'll be dropping some hints along the way) and will help move the plot along.**

 **Pairings: I don't want to give too much away, but she will have at least one serious relationship with a canon character and a relationship with an Original.**

 **Timing: This story starts Season One, Episode One. If you'd prefer to jump ahead to Season Two (sometimes I do this when I'm reading others' stories), feel free to head to chapter 16. There is a Season One recap in that chapter that will let you know the important points of what happened in Season One in this story.**

 **I don't own anything, just Josie.**

 **Rated M for language and sex**

Josie woke up to her alarm clock buzzing. Groaning, she hit the snooze button and rolled over. It took a few seconds to realize that the alarm clock was on the wrong side of the bed. Opening her eyes, she realized she wasn't in her bedroom, but somebody else's. What the hell? She'd definitely gone to sleep in her own bed last night. Sitting up, she looked around. She didn't see anything she recognized.

Trying not to panic, she got off the bed and looked around for something that could be used as a weapon. A picture on one of the dressers caught her eye. It was her. A slightly younger version of her with… what looked like some of the cast from the Vampire Diaries? Looking in the mirror, she saw her own reflection, but again, she looked a little younger. What the hell was going on?

Then someone knocked on the door and a blonde head popped in.

"Jo, I hope you're out of bed," said the blonde woman, turning toward her. "Good."

Josie gasped, forgetting her panic for a second. She looked like Jenna, from the Vampire Diaries.

"What am I doing here?" asked Josie, eyes narrowed. "How did I get here?"

Jenna stepped into the room, looking concerned. "Are you okay, Jo? You weren't drinking last night, were you?"

"I.. No," Josie said. "I… I just woke up in the middle of a dream."

That's what this must be, she thought. I'm dreaming that I'm in the Vampire Diaries. Maybe she should just play along?

"I'm fine," Josie said, smiling. "I'll… be there soon. I guess?"

Jenna gave her one more concerned look, but left, closing the door behind her. Josie sighed, looking around the room again. She spotted a phone on the nightstand and picked it up. She looked through a few of the pictures. They were mostly of her and people she'd never seen before, though some had what looked like actors from the Vampire Diaries.

She looked through some of the recent text messages as well. She had a ton from "Derek", some from 'Bridget', 'Tracy' and 'Colin', along with some from Jeremy, Elena and Jenna.

Putting her phone down, she looked at her reflection, thinking this was the oddest dream. It felt so real. When Jenna popped in a few minutes later to lament Josie's lack of readiness, Josie figured she may as well play along for now. What else was she going to do?

She raced through getting ready, before grabbing the phone and what looked like a school bag. When she walked into the kitchen, Jenna, Elena, and Jeremy were already there.

"It's your first day of school," Jenna was saying, "And I'm totally unprepared. Lunch money?" She held out wads of cash.

Elena declined, but Jeremy took one. Josie grabbed the other. Why not?

"Anything else?" asked Jenna. "Number two pencil? What am I missing?"

"Don't you have a big presentation today?" asked Elena.

Josie drowned out the rest of their conversation as she opened the fridge. She was hungry, which was odd for a dream. She grabbed the loaf of bread and looked around for a toaster. By the time she'd found it, both Jenna and Jeremy were gone.

Elena looked upset.

"Are you okay?" Josie asked, disliking the awkward silence.

"That's my line," said Elena, smiling. "I'm fine. It's Jeremy. I'm worried about him."

"Yeah," said Josie, trying to look sympathetic.

She remembered how screwed up Jeremy had been when the series started. Is that where she was? At the beginning? Boooring, she thought. Why can't I dream about the exciting parts, like with the Originals or Silas?

"Has he talked to you at all lately?" Elena asked. "You guys are close, with your twin bond and all. I feel like I barely saw him all summer."

Okay, so she was Jeremy's twin sister in this dream? "Uh, not so much lately," Josie said, wondering if that were true. "He'll be fine. He just needs more time." Jeremy hadn't stayed messed up for long, right?

"I hope so," said Elena, grabbing her schoolbag. "Derek giving you a ride?"

"Derek?"

"Yeah," Elena smiled. "I thought you said he was giving you a ride today. Otherwise, you can come with Bonnie and me."

"No, it's fine," said Josie, grabbing her toast. "Derek said he'd be here soon." She did remember that text message from her phone.

"Okay, see you at school then."

Josie grabbed the school bag and started eating her toast. She really didn't want to go to school, but figured that's what her dream self should do. What else was she going to do?

She walked out of the house just when a car pulled up and a boy she'd seen on her phone got out.

"Hey, Josie. Ready for the first day of school?" He smiled and opened her door for her.

She smiled at his chivalrous gesture. "Guess so," she answered.

They were walking into school when Josie saw Stefan Salvatore headed toward the front entrance. She saw several students look at him as he passed. He must be new.

She was still with Derek when they ran into Matt Donovan in the hallway.

"Hey man," said Derek to Matt. They did a kind of bro hug or something. Clearly Matt and Derek were friends. "How's it going? You run into Elena?"

"Yeah," said Matt, sadly.

Oh, right. He and Elena had broken up before the show started. Josie saw Bonnie and Elena watching something inside the admissions office. She wondered if maybe it was Stefan?

Josie excused herself and walked over to where Elena and Bonnie were standing. Elena left to follow stoner Jeremy into the bathroom just as Josie came.

"Hey, what's up, Bonnie?" Josie asked.

"New student."

"Yeah, what's his name?" She didn't need to know. That was definitely Stefan Salvatore.

"Not sure. Hot back though," said Bonnie.

Josie laughed.

At that moment, Stefan turned around and made his way out of the office. Bonnie and Josie quickly looked away so it didn't look like they'd been staring.

"So what period did you say you had math?" asked Bonnie, making casual conversation.

Josie responded, "third with Mr. Robertson." She had looked at her class schedule while in the car.

"Right, third," Bonnie said. In a lower voice, she said "He's gorgeous!"

"Yeah, wow," said Josie, tilting her head. And he was. Stefan was pretty hot.

Soon Elena joined the two girls, explaining the conversation she'd had with Jeremy in the bathroom.

"Can you talk to him, Jo?" asked Elena. "I know he'll listen to you."

"Uh, sure. I'll talk to him after school." She was supposed to be a guidance counselor for teen addict Jeremy? What a lame dream.

As the day wore on, she was getting more and more confused. Why wasn't she waking up? This dream had gone on long enough. High school was not an experience she wished to repeat.

Then, she accidently slammed her hand inside a locker and she nearly cried from the pain. Oh god, what if this isn't a dream? But… How is this even possible? Being inside a TV show?

Bored, she took out a notebook during last period and started writing everything down she could remember from the show. She wasn't super clear on timelines, but managed to remember the major plot points of each season. She'd only seen the Vampire Diaries once all the way through, after all.

She was clearly in the first episode of the first season as she remembered that Stefan was introduced then. Damon too, but he wasn't in school. And he was kinda evil back then. Stefan was good, though. Not drinking human blood.

As she looked at her notes, the power of the information hit her. If she was really in this world, she knew… well, whatever she could remember. Not just the past, but the future too.

What could she do with that power? Sit back and watch all the good, dramatic bits close up? Of course, her very presence could change things. And maybe she should do just that- change things. Bad things had happened on the show. Jenna was dead. Jeremy had died, a lot. Could she save them? Make things better?

Changing things could be fun, too. Like a game! 20 points if she saved a main character. 10 points for a recurring character and 5 if it was just a random person.

Then, she sighed. No, even if this wasn't a dream, she wasn't staying. She didn't belong here.

After school, Josie went up to the bedroom she'd woken up in and opened the laptop there.

A few hours of internet surfing didn't make her feel better. There was nothing about vampires, witches, etc. on the internet except fiction. No witch advertisements that said 'Found yourself in the wrong world? Call us now to get a lift home!'

This world seemed to be identical to her own, except Mystic Falls was a real place, with real people living there.

She was still on the laptop a few hours later, when Jenna came, telling her dinner was ready. Dinner with Jenna, Elena and Jeremy was pleasant, even if Jeremy didn't say much. Josie remembered her promise to Elena that she'd talk to Jeremy about his drug use.

Sighing, she knocked on Jeremy's door once they'd washed up after dinner.

No answer. She knocked again.

"Jeremy?" she called.

"What is it?"

"Can I talk to you?"

"Sure," he said, opening the door. "What's up?"

Josie sat down on his computer chair. "How was the first day of school? Anything… interesting happen?"

"Come on, Jo. Did Elena ask you to talk to me? Is this an intervention?"

"She's worried about you."

"Does she know that half the times I got high this summer were with you?"

Josie was surprised. Josie Gilbert didn't seem the type. "And what about the other half, Jer? I didn't show up to school high today. There's a difference."

He scoffed and looked at the ground. She sighed again and threw herself into the role of concerned sister.

"How long before it starts to affect school? Don't jeopardize your future over drugs. Or a girl."

"There's no girl."

"I know about you and Vicky."

"What? How?"

"Somebody saw you over the summer," she lied. "Look, not many people know. And that's a good thing." Josie paused. "Was she your?" Josie couldn't remember that from the show.

Jeremy looked down. "Yes."

"Wow, why didn't you tell me?" Josie asked. Elena had said the two twins were close. She wasn't exactly sure how close, but that seemed like something he would have shared.

"I don't know. This summer… I guess we haven't talked much. I mean, really talk. I miss you, Jo."

"I miss you too," she said, not knowing what else to say. How can you miss someone you didn't know yesterday?

"So what about you and Derek? Have you?"

"Not yet." She was guessing. How was she supposed to know?

"He seems like a good guy," said Jeremy. "Even if he's friends with Tyler Lockwood."

Josie smiled. She knew why Jeremy didn't like wolf boy.

"Please just be careful, okay? About Vicky and the drugs. Find some nice, normal girl to do the nasty with high."

Vicky and Jeremy had definitely not been her favorite pairing in the show.

Jeremy looked a bit surprised at her words, but quickly recovered. "My little sister," said Jeremy, chuckling.

"Little sister?" She thought they were twins?

"Well, you're four minutes younger," teased Jeremy. Oh, right. "Is the lecture over?"

"Yes," she said, smiling. "Please tell Elena I lectured you for at least 20-30 minutes."

Jeremy smiled. "I promise… Hey were you headed to the Grill to meet Derek?"

Josie shrugged. "Sure, why not? Want to come?"

"Yeah, I'll drive."

The ride to the Grill was enjoyable. Jeremy was good company. He parked and they made their way into the Grill. He excused himself to go to the bathroom and Josie walked over to the table where Derek was sitting with Matt and Tyler.

"Hey guys," she said.

"Hey, babe," returned Derek. "Glad you could make it."

"Hey, why'd you bring your loser brother with you?" asked Tyler, eyeing Jeremy who was talking to Vicky.

Josie frowned. "Rude." Tyler was really a dick in the beginning of the show.

"That's the second time today I caught him bothering Vicky," said Tyler.

"Why do you care?" asked Josie, though she remembered that Tyler and Vicky had a thing. She smiled knowingly. "Are you banging her or something?"

"Jo, that's my sister," said Matt, shaking his head.

Josie shrugged. "Anyone up for pool?"

After they'd finished the game of pool, she saw Josie Gilbert's friends walk into the Grill. From her day at school, she had learned that Bridget, Tracy and Colin were the group that Josie Gilbert hung out with.

"Oh my god, I have so much to tell you," Bridget said, running over to her. "I heard the full scoop on the new guy from Caroline Forbes."

Josie laughed as the four of them grabbed a table. Bridget told them all about Stefan Salvatore. Of course, she left out the most important fact of all- that he was a vampire.

After a few minutes, Stefan arrived with Elena.

"He is so gorgeous," said Tracy, sipping her drink.

"Absolutely delicious," agreed Colin. "You don't think he plays for my team, do you?"

"That good looking?" said Josie. "Probably."

"Oh, like you don't have a fine piece of man candy yourself," said Colin.

Josie laughed.

"And you don't?" countered Bridget.

"James is cute," agreed Colin. "But he's not tall, dark and spankable like Stefan. Or Derek."

All three girls laughed.

The foursome chatted for a while and then Josie got a ride home with Derek.

As she laid in Josie Gilbert's bed, she thought about how today had been interesting, being someone else, but she was really hoping that the dream or whatever was over and that she would return to her normal life tomorrow.

Waking up the next day, she was still in Josie Gilbert's room. What the hell was going on?

She told Jenna she wasn't feeling well and skipped school. After sticking a pin in her hand a dozen times like a crazy person, she was pretty sure this wasn't a dream. She was really here. Oh god.

She went downstairs, poured herself a big drink from the liquor cabinet, and sat down to figure out, rationally, what she should do. First things first. Vervain to prevent compulsion. Mind control scared her more than anything. Then… what? Probably a witch.

To accomplish the first, she headed over to the Salvatore Boarding House to see Zach Salvatore.

She knocked on the door, hoping that Zach was home and not Damon or Stefan. Thankfully, Zach answered.

"Hi, Mr. Salvatore. I'm Josie… Gilbert."

"Josie Gilbert. Oh, yes. Miranda and… I was so sorry to hear about your loss."

"Thanks, Mr. Salvatore." She tried to look sad. Josie wasn't sure what to do when people mentioned the Gilberts. Her real parents were alive and well.

"Can I help you with something, Josie?"

"Yes. Are you home alone?" she asked, peering into the house.

Zach looked at her suspiciously.

"I just mean, are your, eh, nephews here?"

"Stefan is at school at the moment. Which is where you should be, I would guess."

"Yes, well," she said, walking in without an invitation. "I needed to talk to you about something without him here. Your… other nephew isn't here is he?"

"What other nephew?"

Josie sighed, trying to suppress her annoyance. She was stuck in a crazy, supernatural world and her patience was razor thin. It wasn't Zach's fault though.

"I know Stefan and Damon Salvatore are not your nephews, they are your distant uncles. They're vampires who were born in the 1800s."

"I… how do you know that?" asked Zach, shocked.

"I saw Stefan compelling the admissions lady yesterday," she said, figuring that was a believable lie. "I've read about vampires in my ancestor's journals. He kept extensive records of all things supernatural here in Mystic Falls. I'd never seen a vampire before, but when he was compelling her, I realized what he was. It wasn't hard to figure out who he was after that. He probably should have used a fake name or something. Damon is mentioned in my ancestor's journals too. Is he here?"

"No," said Zach. "He hasn't been here for many years. Neither has Stefan. I wish that were still true."

"Me too," said Josie, thinking how Damon had killed Zach in the show.

"Are you sure you're safe here? Living with a vampire?"

"Stefan has his bloodlust under control," said Zach. "In a way that Damon never has."

Josie nearly laughed at that, thinking of ripper Stefan and the Damon of the later seasons.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" asked Zach.

"I was wondering if you had any vervain."

"Those journals mentioned vervain as well?"

"Yes. It sounds like it's the best defense against vampires that exists. Stefan has taken a… special interest in my sister, Elena."

Zach nodded. "Just a moment." He disappeared and returned a minute later with a potted plant. "It needs 5 hours of sun a day, 1/2 pint of water every other day. I'd recommend buying a special UV lamp and putting it in your closet."

Josie smiled. "Thank you so much," she said, getting out her wallet. "How much…"

"It's on the house… On one condition."

"That I keep the secret of your family safe?" guessed Josie.

"Yes."

"Deal. Here's my number. If your other uncle comes back into town, shoot me a text?"

He nodded.

"Stay safe."

He seemed like a nice man. Who knows, if she was stuck here, maybe she could save him?

She left the Boarding House and drove to a local nursery. She bought a UV lamp and set up her little greenhouse in a corner of her closet where no one would see. She pried the face off her watch and stuck some vervain inside. There, safe from compulsion. She instantly felt better.

She texted Derek, saying she was feeling better and that she wanted to go to the bonfire party with him. She had figured out a plan to see a witch, but she had to wait until the weekend, so she figured she may as well enjoy herself until then.

When they arrived at the bonfire, she remembered that this party was the one where Vicky was attacked by Damon. Even though Vicky had survived, Josie thought she could try and help. Maybe keep an eye on Vicky and keep her from leaving the party alone?

Derek went off to get them drinks and Josie saw Stefan and Elena wrapped in their intense conversation on the bridge. Josie spotted Tyler and Vicky and went to say hi. Derek soon joined them and the four of them talked and drank for a while. Derek kissed her and when Josie broke away from him, she realized that Tyler and Vicky were gone. Shit.

"Where did Tyler and Vicky go?" Josie asked, looking around.

"They wanted some privacy, I think," said Derek, nuzzling her neck. "Maybe we should go get some too."

Josie rolled her eyes. He was a little drunk.

"No, we should find them," said Josie. "The woods are dangerous. You heard about those animal attacks."

Derek sighed and let Josie lead him into the woods. She heard raised voices and recognized one of them as Jeremy.

She ran until she saw Jeremy standing in a clearing. "Jeremy, what are you doing out here all alone? Have you seen Tyler and Vicky?"

"Tyler went back to the party," said Jeremy, angrily. "Vicky took off the other way."

"It's not safe out here," she said. "Haven't you heard about those animal attacks?"

Clearly he hadn't. Didn't anyone read the news in this town? "Which way did she go?"

Jeremy looked around. "Uh, that way, I think."

Jeremy, Derek and Josie didn't find Vicky for another five minutes. When they did, it was too late. Josie cursed and knelt down in front of the bleeding girl. Ick. She wasn't exactly squeamish, but that was more blood than she'd ever seen in person. She felt bad, but was glad it was dark.

Jeremy carried Vicky out of the woods while Josie called 911. She hung up with the dispatcher just as they approached the fire and Jeremy put Vicky on a table.

Matt came running over and Josie assured him that an ambulance was on the way. She scanned the crowd and sure enough, she saw Stefan, who was staring at Vicky, horrified. Guess he knows Damon is in town now.

After the ambulance came, Elena told Josie she was going to the Grill to wait for news about Vicky. Derek offered to take Josie home, which she gratefully accepted.

When they got to the Gilbert House, Josie invited Derek inside, not really wanting to be alone after what had happened to Vicky. Watching something like that on TV was a lot different than experiencing it yourself. She was more shaken than she wanted to admit.

He walked her to her room and he pulled her into his arms. When he kissed her and backed her down on the bed, something snapped inside her. All her anxiety about being trapped in this world, the sick feeling she'd gotten when she saw Vicky's bloody neck, it just came crashing down on her at once and she started kissing him more aggressively.

She went to unbuckle his belt, but his hands stilled her. "Are you sure?" he asked, confused.

Josie guessed they hadn't had sex before. After 7 months? "Yes," was all she said, and reached for him again.

"Wait? What changed?"

Josie sighed. Seriously?

"We've been together for seven months," she said. "Why wait?" She wasn't a virgin, anyway. Not really. She was in a crazy dream universe, so it didn't really count, right? She just didn't want to think right now…

Thankfully, he seemed convinced and smiled as he crawled on top of her. He shed their clothes and continued kissing her.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"Yes," she nodded.

"I love you, Josie," he said, giving her a small kiss.

Josie hesitated. "I… love you, too," she said finally, hating herself for saying it when she didn't mean it. But she didn't want to hurt his feelings, after all. Josie Gilbert must love him.

He continued kissing her and reached down to stroke her. He wasn't quite able to get her off- she supposed he wasn't super experienced- but she appreciated the effort. He moved up and rolled a condom on.

He went slow at first, which was good because wow, she'd forgotten how much her first time had hurt. Still, he picked up speed after a while and she enjoyed herself, even if she didn't finish.

Afterwards, they talked a while more before Derek left.

She was just drifting off to sleep when she got a text message from Zach Salvatore. "Damon is here," was all it said. Oh god. So it begins…

 **A/N: So I put her with an OC at first, mostly because I wanted to show a contrast for a future relationship she'll have with a canon character. Don't worry, he won't be sticking around for too long…**

 **Also, I aged up both Jeremy and Josie to be 16 (Jeremy and Josie are both driving in this chapter). In canon, Jeremy is 15 at the start of the show, but here he and Josie are 16, going on 17.**


	2. The Night of the Comet

The next morning, Josie was disappointed, but less surprised that she'd woken up in the Gilbert House.

She texted Zach back, saying they should meet. He seemed like a nice guy and if she could convince him to leave and not be killed by Damon, she figured she might as well do some good until she found a way out of this place.

She also decided she should probably go to school and not skip anymore, just in case she was really stuck here. Derek gave her a ride and they were walking into school when she spotted Jeremy shouting at Tyler. She hesitated, but finally decided to go over and see what the fuss was about. Seemed more interesting than heading to class.

"I'm gonna kick your ass," Tyler was saying as Josie and Derek approached.

"Yeah, you keep saying that, but when are you actually going to do it?" asked Jeremy, edging closer to Tyler. "Cause I vote for right here right now." And then he pushed Tyler.

"Walk way, Gilbert," Tyler told Jeremy. "It's your final warning."

"No this is your final warning," Jeremy said, going for Tyler again.

"Stop it!" shouted Josie, thinking maybe Jeremy would listen to her. "What is wrong with you?" What kind of an idiot picks a fight with a guy built like Tyler? Jeez…

"Let's go," said Josie, taking Jeremy by the arm and dragging him away. Thankfully, he let her.

"Why'd you stop me?" asked Jeremy, shaking her off when they were inside the school. "He wasn't going to do anything."

"Tyler is more dangerous than he seems," said Josie, thinking of when he became a werewolf. "He's got a really bad temper. Just leave him alone."

Jeremy scoffed. "I will if he leaves Vicky alone," he said, walking away angrily.

Josie sighed and leaned against the wall. Didn't he get better soon in the show? He seemed like a nice kid who'd was just having a rough time.

It wasn't her problem though. Of course, she'd always been a bit nosy. Prone to meddling. But this was not the place to indulge that particular impulse. Curiosity could literally kill the cat here. Plus, she wasn't staying.

It was late that night when she got home after a date with Derek. Still, she joined Jenna and Elena in the kitchen. Elena was telling Jenna about her visit to Stefan's house and her run-in with Damon and how Stefan had lots of 'issues'. It took a lot of self-control for Josie to not laugh out loud. That was possibly the understatement of the year. Maybe the century…

Jeremy came home and got an earful from Jenna. He ignored her and went to his room. Jenna came back into the kitchen near to tears. Thankfully, Elena comforted her. Josie felt bad, but excused herself as soon as she could and went to bed.

The next day was the day of the comet. Josie had been trying to remember all day if something had happened tonight, but nothing came to mind. She was at the town square with her friends after school when she saw Damon Salvatore. She followed the direction of his gaze and saw it was on Caroline, who was moving toward him. She made her way over to Caroline. She thought she could try to help the girl avoid a mistake.

"Hey Caroline." Josie looked over at the vampire darkly. 'Go away' she thought. "Have you seen Elena?" Caroline looked at her and then back at the space where Damon had been standing.

"I think Elena went into the Grill," the blonde girl said, distractedly. She looked disappointed that Damon had gone. Josie just rolled her eyes.

Later on, Josie was lounging in Derek's arms when she saw Matt emerge from the Grill, looking worried. She excused herself and ran up to Matt to ask him if something was wrong.

"Vicky's missing," was all he said.

Josie nodded and told Matt she'd help look for Vicky. She wasn't 100% sure, but she had a feeling Vicky might be on the roof. Hoping she wouldn't end up the proverbial cat, she headed up the stairs, even though she knew it was probably a bad idea. When she got there, Damon had Vicky on the edge of the roof.

"What are you doing?" shouted Josie, eyes wide. She'd never seen anyone look so scared. Watching this scene on TV was nothing compared to real life. Vicky could die at any second.

"Who are you, Tasty Morsel?" asked Damon, looking down at Josie.

"Josie Gilbert" she said, trying not to hyperventilate. "Who are you? Everyone is looking for her. Let her go."

"Gilbert?" asked Damon, raising an eyebrow. "You're not related to Elena, are you?"

"She's my sister," answered Josie. "Who are you?"

Damon threw Vicky down onto the roof. Thankfully away from the edge.

"Damon Salvatore," he said, walking toward Josie. "You might know my brother."

"Stefan," she said, backing away from him. "Where is he?" she asked, more to herself, but Damon answered.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll find us eventually. The question is, what are we going to do until he gets here?"

A groan from Vicky distracted them both. Thankful to get away from Damon's penetrating gaze, she rushed to the older girl's side.

"Are you okay, Vicky?" she asked, bending down.

Vicky opened her mouth to respond when the world blurred crazily and Josie found herself with her back against the roof entrance and Damon hovering over her. She screamed. Whether in fear or surprise, she wasn't sure.

"We weren't finished with our conversation, sweetheart," said Damon, smiling dangerously.

Josie didn't have time to respond because he was ripped away by Stefan.

"Leave her alone," he said.

"Think you can stop me, brother?"

"Why did you come here tonight?" asked Stefan.

Damon cocked his head. "Well, this one," he grabbed Vicky by the shoulder. "I don't think you took care of." He turned to Vicky. "What attacked you the other night?"

Vicky was crying. Josie tried to go to her, but Stefan stopped her. Clearly, he wanted to hear Vicky's answer.

"I don't know," she said. "An animal."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Damon. "Think about it. Think really hard. What attacked you?"

Suddenly Vicky tried to get out of Damon's grip. "A vampire."

"Who did this to you?" asked Damon.

"You did," said Vicky, crying harder.

Josie could only watch, horrified at the scene before her. This wasn't a TV show. Vicky was terrified. Really, truly terrified.

"Wrong," said Damon. "It was Stefan."

"Don't," pleaded Stefan.

Josie watched as Damon compelled Vicky to believe that Stefan was the one who attacked her.

Damon mocked Stefan when he was done, "If you couldn't fix it before, I don't know what you can do now." He ripped off Vicky's bandage and threw her over to Stefan.

Josie didn't know what to do. Vicky had died later in the show, so she should survive this encounter. Josie tried not to think about her own safety, hoping that her connection to Elena would help.

"Stefan, let me take her downstairs," Josie said, wanting desperately off this roof.

"You're not going anywhere," said Damon. He grabbed her shoulders, holding her in front of him. She was facing out so she could see Stefan and Vicky. Stefan wasn't letting go of Vicky, though.

"I'm sure Elena would love to hear her sister's account of the big, bad vampire who attacked her." Josie felt Damon lower his head.

She struggled against him. "Let me go!" she shouted, trying to get out of his grasp, even though she knew it was useless. She was terrified. Being related to Elena should help her chances of survival, not hurt them.

"You know when you struggle, it just makes us bite harder," said Damon, running a hand along her neck.

Then he turned to Stefan. "Your choice of lifestyle has made you weak. A couple of vampire parlor tricks is nothing compared to the power that you could have, that you now need. But you can change that. Human blood gives you that."

Josie saw veins appear under Stefan's eyes. "Stefan, don't!" she said, trying to get away from Damon. He pulled her back, this time much more roughly. "Ow!" she cried, though given his vampire strength, she knew it could be a lot worse.

Josie was distracted by Stefan pushing Vicky down on the ground. So was Damon.

"You have two choices," Damon said, still gripping Josie tightly. "You can feed and make them forget. Or you can let them scream vampire through the town square."

"That's what this is about?" asked Stefan. "You want to expose me?"

"No. I want you to remember who you are."

"Why?" asked Stefan. "So I'll feed? So I'll kill? So I'll remember what it's like to be brothers again?" Damon didn't respond. "You know what? Let them go. Let them tell everyone that vampires have returned to Mystic Falls. Let them chain me up and drive a stake through my heart because at least then I'll be free of you."

For a moment, Josie forgot her predicament and wondered at how much Stefan had hated Damon at the beginning of the show.

Damon didn't respond for a second. Then Josie felt him glide his hand across her stomach. She gasped as he spun her around. He looked her in the eye and said, "You came up to the roof and didn't see anyone. Go find your friends and enjoy watching the comet." She blinked, realizing that he was compelling her.

"I should go find my friends," she said, in her best monotone. She left the roof without another word, confident that Damon had had his fun and that he would compel and release Vicky.

She went to the Grill's bathroom and splashed water on her face, trying to stay calm. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. What had she been thinking, going up to the roof?

She had to get out of here. Vampires were real here. This was crazy. She shouldn't be here. She could not handle… here. A few more minutes and she managed to pull herself together enough to leave the bathroom.

She tried to focus on enjoying the comet, but she kept thinking about Damon. He was so dangerous. He hadn't been tamed by Elena yet. But wow, he was even more gorgeous in person.

Finally, the comet made its appearance and everyone started to go home. Josie saw Jeremy enter the Grill and went to find him, as he'd driven her there.

She was just approaching the Grill when she heard a noise in the alley. Frowning, she poked her head around the corner, only to come face to face with Damon.

"Jesus," she said. "You scared me."

"Sorry. Josie, right?"

"Yeah," she responded, remembering that she wasn't supposed to know him. "Do I know you?"

"I'm Damon Salvatore. Stefan's brother."

"Oh, nice to meet you," she said, smiling and holding out her hand. She wasn't supposed to remember their shocking rooftop encounter, after all.

"It's nice to meet you too," he said, grabbing her hand and placing a kiss on the back. "The girls just get lovelier every time I come back here."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay," she said, trying to pull her hand back. He still hadn't released it. Instead, he tugged on her and she tumbled into the alley and into his arms. "What the hell?" she exclaimed, trying to push back on him. "What are you doing?"

"Don't shout," he said, looking into her eyes.

Not wanting to give the secret of her vervain away, she quieted. Given he'd let her go earlier, she didn't think he'd kill her. Shouting wasn't exactly going to save her anyway.

"I just thought we could get to know each other," said Damon, stroking her back. "You know my brother likes your sister."

She pushed back on him. "And I have a boyfriend." Though he smelled amazing and his blue eyes were magnetic.

"You mean the quarterback?"

Josie paused. She wasn't actually sure what position Derek played.

"Forget about him," Damon said, though it was just conversation, he wasn't compelling her. "I saw you looking at me earlier."

Josie's eyes went wide. He meant on the square, when he'd been looking at Caroline. Did that mean he was here with her instead of with Caroline? Oh, no.

"I was not!" she protested, trying to push him away again.

"Come on," he said, lowering his voice to a seductive whisper, leaning into her ear. "You know you want me." His whisper sent shivers down her spine.

Without thinking, she turned her head just slightly toward his and before she knew it, he was kissing her. And even though she hated herself, she kissed him back. He was an amazing kisser. He deepened the kiss and pushed her back roughly against the brick wall of the alley.

His hands started to wander south of her face, but when they reached her chest, the spell lifted and she pushed back on him, hard. He must not have been expecting that and, so released her.

"I… I should go," she said, backing away.

Then she turned and ran back to the sidewalk and into the Grill. She found Jeremy, who was moping over Vicky, again, and convinced him to take them both home.

As she went to sleep that night, still hoping against hope she'd wake up in her real life tomorrow, she couldn't help thinking about Damon. He was so dangerous. But attractive too.

It didn't matter. She had a plan. She was leaving soon. Damon wasn't in school. She was sure she'd never have to see him again. If only that were true. Damn Elena for inviting him into their house…


	3. Friday Night Bites (Part One)

**A/N: I split Friday Night Bites into two Fridays to allow for an interlude in between, so these next few chapters are shorter.**

When Josie saw Caroline wearing a scarf the next day, she felt really guilty. On the plus side, she had a pleasant conversation with Zach Salvatore over coffee. They talked about vampires, Gilbert and Salvatore family history, etc. She told him what had happened on the rooftop with Damon and Stefan. How Stefan's veins had appeared and maybe he was more dangerous than Zach thought.

Zach understood her concern over his living with Damon and Stefan, though he thought Josie's suggestion of leaving town was overkill. They agreed they'd keep in contact with any updates regarding the vampire brothers.

Josie met Derek for dinner at a local restaurant. Then, he found a secluded spot in one of Mystic Falls' parks and they had sex. This time she was on top, so at least she got an orgasm out of it. She remembered her kiss with Damon and couldn't help but think he would be way better.

She sighed as Derek dropped her off. She had to stop these types of thoughts. Season One Damon was dangerous. Plus she was seeing a witch tomorrow and, hopefully, going home!

As soon as she stepped in the door to the Gilbert House, Josie heard voices. A quick look in the living room and she saw Damon and Stefan sitting there, as Bonnie, Caroline and Elena were in the kitchen, doing dishes. So Damon officially had an invite now.

Josie realized this was the dinner party that Elena arranged for Bonnie and Stefan to get to know each other after Bonnie's bad vibe/vision thing about Stefan. That Caroline and Damon then crashed. Awkward.

She tried to make it up the stairs without catching anyone's attention, but Damon called, "Hey, Josie!" She glared at him as Elena came into the living room with a dish towel.

"Hey Jo," she said. "Is Jeremy with you?"

"No, I haven't seen him," she said, still paused on the first stair.

"There's cake if you want some," said Elena. "And you haven't met Stefan and Damon, have you?"

Josie plastered on a smile, still annoyed she wasn't safely up in her room. One more day, she reminded herself. "No," she said, walking toward the living room.

"This is Stefan," said Elena, pointing at Stefan. Before Elena could introduce Damon, he stepped forward.

"Oh, we've met already," said Damon. Josie's gaze darkened as she dared him to recount their alley encounter.

"You have?" asked Caroline, surprised. By this time, Bonnie and Caroline had come into the living room.

"We're old friends," said Damon, slinging an arm around Josie. "We bumped into each other at the Grill. This one practically fell on top of me," he smirked, pulling her closer. "We had a good laugh about it, right?"

It was clear he was deliberating trying to get under her skin. Stefan frowned. He clearly didn't like the way Damon was touching her.

Josie clenched her jaw. "You know what a klutz I am," she said. "That's why I'm not a cheerleader." She smiled another fake smile. "Well, I have a quiz Monday in Math," she said, breaking away from Damon's arm to move up the stairs. "It was nice meeting you, Stefan. Goodnight."

That night she dreamt of Damon. Screw him and his vampire parlor tricks. She only hoped that Elena dreamt of him too. Thank God she was seeing a witch…


	4. New Orleans Interlude

**A/N: Josie tries to make a break for it! This chapter doesn't move the canon story along, but Josie gets a small clue as to how she's here. There's a TL;DR at the end if you'd rather skip it.**

Josie was grateful the next day was Saturday. She was tired of being here. She missed her family and her friends. Missed her real life. This clearly wasn't a dream. Someone or something had transported her here and she had to get out.

The most obvious explanation was magic. She had to find a witch and get them to reverse whatever had been done to her.

The Gilberts weren't wealthy, but Jeremy and Elena's parents had made sure they were taken care of, so Josie had some money to track down a witch to help her.

The only witches in town were Bonnie and her Grandmother. Bonnie wasn't really a witch yet and she didn't know 'Grams'. She didn't trust that 'Grams' wouldn't think she was crazy and try to have her committed. No, it was best to go with a stranger.

So, Josie decided to head to New Orleans for the weekend. There were plenty of witches there, and if memory served, it would be a year or two before the handsome Marcel put a chokehold on the witching community, so they should still be practicing magic freely.

With a sliver of hope, she told her family she was spending the night with friends and told her friends she was spending the night in with family.

She landed early Saturday afternoon and went immediately to the French Quarter. There were all sorts of voodoo people there, but most of them were for the tourists. It took a few hours, but she finally found the witch shop that Damon and Stefan had visited in the show.

She definitely remembered that scene, when they'd talked about expression and how Damon killed 12 people to try and get rid of the sire bond with that girl. But the witch hadn't like expression, she'd been a good witch.

When she walked in, there were a few people milling about. She waited until they left before approaching the counter.

"Can I help you, honey?" the woman asked.

"I hope so," Josie said. "I'm having a problem with magic. I think someone did a spell on me and I want to reverse it."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Well, we have salted herbs over here," she said. "They help with getting rid of bad spirits."

"I'm serious," said Josie. "I know magic is real. I know you're a real witch. Probably with a real Grimoire. I think someone has done something to me and I need your help. Please."

She couldn't help the desperate tone from leaking into her voice. Because yeah, she was desperate.

The witch looked at her, then nodded. "Follow me," she said. "I'm Nandi."

"Josie. Nice to meet you."

Josie followed Nandi to a back room. "Tell me about this spell."

"Okay, I don't know much about the spell. I'm not from here. I'm from a different… world. One where there's no such thing as magic. I woke up a few days ago and I still look like me, but I'm living in some other person's life. I know I sound crazy, but you have to believe me."

"That's like no other spell I've heard of," she said, eyeing Josie warily. "Give me your hands."

Josie held out her hands. Nandi chanted some Latin, while she squeezed Josie's hands. She shook her head after a few minutes. "I'm not getting anything. I'm sorry."

Josie was crushed. "Really? Maybe I am crazy."

"Let me try one more thing," she said. Nandi got up and took some herbs from a jar. She rubbed them on her hands and then grasped Josie's hands again.

All of a sudden, the air started to hum. The herbs burned Josie's hands and she tried to pull away, but Nandi just gripped her tighter. What felt like a tidal wave of hot air and pure energy whooshed through the room and knocked both Josie and Nandi on the ground.

"You…" she gasped. "You have been touched by expression."

"Expression, like black magic?" Josie bit her lip. That can't be good.

"The darkest form. A perversion of nature. I cannot help you," Nandi said, still trying to catch her breath.

Josie leaned over and helped her up.

When she was more calm, she grasped Josie's hands in hers once more. "I'm sorry, my dear. Whatever is responsible for bringing you here was a very powerful spell. One I'm not sure can be reversed. Expression is dangerous, unstable."

Josie nodded, thanked her, and left. She managed to contain her tears until she was safely in her hotel room. She didn't leave her room that night and cried herself to sleep.

The next morning though, she felt a little better. She'd slept in and, in the light of day, her encounter at the witch's shop didn't seem as scary or doomed. Okay, so some powerful spell had brought her here. It wouldn't be easy to reverse, but it could be done. There was always a way.

Bonnie got into expression eventually. It had taken a few seasons, but each season was only a few months in real time, since they'd been in high school forever. Her heart sank when she realized that was still at least a year away, maybe longer.

She spent the rest of Sunday, before her afternoon flight, trying in vain to find other real witches in the quarter. She had very little success and the ones she found slammed the door in her face the moment she mentioned the word 'Expression'.

She was nearing the end of her list of magic shops when she saw Marcel coming out of a café. She paused for a moment to admire how handsome he was. Dangerous, but yeah, super hot.

She entered the next shop and walked around the shelves. This wasn't a real magic shop, she could tell. She'd gotten pretty good at discerning the real ones from the fakes in the past few hours.

Sighing, she made her way out of the store and nearly ran over someone.

"Oh my god," Josie said. "I'm…." She paused, looking up at Marcel. "sorry about that," she finished awkwardly. "I didn't see you coming in."

He laughed a deep, baritone laugh. "It's okay. I move pretty quick."

Josie laughed nervously. "I guess so. Well, if you'll excuse me."

"You here visiting?"

"Yeah. Just for the weekend though, I have a flight soon." Please don't eat me.

"Too bad," he said, smiling. "I'm the best tour guide in New Orleans."

"Well maybe next time I come, I'll look you up," she said, returning his smile and moving to push past him.

"You do that. I'm Marcel."

"Josie," she said, offering her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Josie," he said, lifting her hand to his lips and placing a small kiss there. Wow, no wonder Rebekah loves this guy.

"You too," she said, trying not to blush.

She continued to a few more stores, but eventually gave up and headed to the airport.

When she pulled up to the Gilbert House, it was late. Jenna was home and didn't seem suspicous at all, buying her story. She went to bed, trying to forget how hopeless her situation was.

 **A/N: Couldn't resist a tiny Marcel cameo, even though it did nothing to move the plot along :-)**

 **Don't worry, Josie will be jumping in soon- she confronts Stefan about Damon next chapter.**

 **TL;DR - It was magic that brought Josie to the world of the Vampire Diaries. Expression, specifically.**


	5. Friday Night Bites (Part Two)

Nothing much happened until the next Friday night, which was football night. Josie went to school and hung out with Derek, her friends, and Jeremy.

Her discreet internet searches into magic, expression, etc were not helpful. There was very little that was real on the internet. Everyday that she woke up in Josie Gilbert's room, she was less and less surprised, less and less hopeful.

But life in Mystic Falls carried on. Josie wasn't a big fan of football, but as Derek was on the team, she felt obligated to attend the game.

She noticed Elena was now wearing the vervain necklace. Josie was glad, though she'd been slipping vervain in the Gilbert family coffee pot ever since she got her plant.

It was an eventful night, even before the game started. Stefan broke up a fight between Tyler and Jeremy. Then, Elena came back to the stands a little while later, visibly shaken and telling Josie that Damon was no good and they should all stay away from him. Clearly, Elena had her intimidating encounter with Damon where he tried to compel her to kiss him.

Josie was in the stands with her friends, waiting for the game to start, when they announced the game was cancelled. Then there was a rumor that the Coach had been found dead. Oh god, Damon. She forgot that he'd killed the coach. That's why Alaric came to Mystic Falls.

That poor man. How could Stefan just let Damon go around killing people? She was pretty sure it was a few more episodes before Stefan locked Damon up. She thought that he got somewhat better after that. Calmed down a bit.

Josie knew she shouldn't get involved, but couldn't help herself. She wasn't going to be useless while she was stuck here. Not when she knew Damon could be better.

Josie waited until Elena drove off after the game that didn't happen and found Stefan standing alone in the parking lot beside the field.

"We need to talk, Stefan."

"Josie, are you alright? Is everything okay?"

"You need to control your brother, Stefan."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," she said. "First that couple on the road, those campers, now the Coach. How many people have to die before you do something about him?"

"I don't understand."

Josie rolled her eyes. "Don't play dumb with me. My ancestor, Jonathan Gilbert, kept detailed journals. He wrote about a pair of vampire brothers that date to the town's founding. Stefan and Damon Salvatore."

"Vampires?" said Stefan, raising his eyebrows. "There's no such thing as vampires."

"I didn't believe it myself at first. But then I saw you compelling the admissions lady the first day of school. So I got myself some vervain and good thing too, otherwise I wouldn't even remember what happened the night of the comet."

Stefan's eyes went wide. "The rooftop," he whispered, shocked.

"Yes. I saw what Damon did to Vicky. I heard him confess. Look, Stefan, I don't think like Jonathan Gilbert. I don't believe all vampires are bad. You didn't feed from Vicky. But you have to do something about Damon. He's dangerous."

He looked at her with an odd expression. "I know. I wanted to believe there was still some good in him. But I don't think there is."

Josie knew that wasn't true. And that Damon could and would redeem himself, but for now he had to be controlled.

She just nodded. "I've been talking to Zach ever since I realized the truth about you," she admitted. "He's the one who gave me the vervain. He's got a stash somewhere. You could use it against Damon. I can help you."

"Does Elena…" he trailed off.

Josie shook her head. "She doesn't know. I won't tell her. Your secret is safe with me as long as you stop your brother from hurting people. I don't think anyone else knows. Except for maybe Caroline." Josie sighed.

"The best way to help her is to get Damon out of the picture," said Stefan.

"Agreed. Call me when you decide what to do. I'm serious, I want to help." After tonight, she wanted some control.

"Josie, I don't think.." Stefan started.

"I'm in or I tell Elena," said Josie, crossing her arms.

Stefan just looked at her.

"Not just that you're a vampire," she added. "But that you watched while Damon attacked me on the roof and then ambushed me in an alley."

"He…" Stefan trailed off.

"I got away," said Josie, not explaining that she had actually reciprocated a bit in the alley. She'd been working on repressing that for the past week.

Then Stefan gave her a look. "I wasn't in an alley."

"Oh, you weren't there for that one?" asked Josie with mock innocence. "Guess I'm just getting all confused. Must be those evil vampires messing with my poor, innocent head."

She hated stooping to this, but she needed some control in this crazy world she seemed to be stuck in. She needed to be included.

Stefan stared at her for a minute before shaking his head. "I think I had you all wrong."

Josie smiled and shrugged. "Call me when you've talked to Zach," she said and walked away.

She felt like she was holding her breath all the way back to her car. There was only so much fake bravado she was capable of mustering. She'd need a lot more if she wanted to help Stefan take down Damon.


	6. Family Ties

After her talk with Stefan, Josie skipped school on Wednesday, trying to track down a witch coven in Pennsylvania. The minute she mentioned expression, they told her to get the hell out. That no witch practiced expression anymore and that she was obviously lying about the spell done on her.

Interestingly, in her desperation, Josie refused to leave until they'd heard her out and when one of the witches held out her hand to magic Josie away, nothing happened. Another witch tried and another, but Josie just stood there, staring at them awkwardly.

Then, they called her a demon (ouch) and just physically pushed her out. Josie was really confused. Maybe magic didn't work on her because she wasn't really from here?

It was a small comfort as she drove away, tears pouring down her face. She was never leaving.

Damon left town the Saturday after that horrible football game, only returning the day before the Founder's party. Stefan and Zach decided to take him down at the party. Josie was a bit annoyed as she was pretty sure this was when Damon was subdued anyway, but it was cool to be included in the plan.

Meanwhile, life went on in her non-supernatural life. She was adjusting to her classes. She was getting to know Jenna, Elena and Jeremy better, as well as her friends and Derek. Even if she didn't really want to.

Jeremy was still an angry teenager. He didn't react well when Elena dug out some old family heirlooms to loan to the Lockwoods for the Founder's party. Josie didn't give a crap about some relics and declined to get in the middle of their argument. She wasn't really a Gilbert after all, so who cared?

Josie struggled to calm her nerves as Derek drove them to the party. She spotted Damon and Stefan as soon as she walked in. She stuck close to Derek, hoping Damon especially wouldn't approach her. She texted Stefan discreetly throughout the evening, making sure everything was in place.

When she noticed Caroline and Stefan dancing, she gave the waiter a twenty to offer them the 'special' drinks that Stefan had prepared.

Despite her disappointment in Pennsylvania, she found herself getting a little excited. It was on! If it weren't so serious and they weren't messing with a deadly vampire, she'd say it was almost fun.

The Mission Impossible theme was playing inside her head as she made her way to the bathroom. She was just about to enter the bathroom when she ran into the devil himself.

Damon smiled and grabbed her, pulling her into a nearby room and closing the door behind him before she could blink. Well, it wasn't in vampire speed, but it was very fast. Oh god. He knew. He knew about the plan and he was going to kill her.

"Alone at last," he said, smirking.

"What do you want, Damon?" she asked, eyeing the door.

"I noticed you stuck pretty close to your boyfriend, Dean, tonight," he said.

Josie was confused. Okay, so he didn't know about the plan. Why was he still bothering her then?

"It's Derek," she corrected.

"Afraid to be alone with me?" he asked, moving closer to her. "Afraid of what you might do?"

"I'm not afraid." Though her thundering heart probably disagreed.

"You should be," he said, his voice dangerous.

"Don't you have enough going on? Messing with Elena's head and screwing Caroline?"

"Oh, she's a jealous kitten," said Damon, smiling.

Josie scoffed. "I'm not jealous."

Damon smirked. "I saw you watching me during the whole party," he said, moving closer and backing her up against a wall.

"I was not," she said, trying to push him. For all the good it did her.

"No need to worry, though. Elena is just to annoy my brother. And Caroline, well, a man has needs."

Yeah, I know exactly what kind of needs you have, she thought.

"So why don't you go back to her?" she said, trying to push him again. Somehow, her hands stayed on his chest. Damn it.

"I'm pretty happy with where I am right now," he said, leaning down and claiming her lips.

She tried to resist, she really did. But somehow instead of pushing him away, she just pulled him closer. He was an amazing kisser. He put Derek to shame.

He was just skirting his hands up and under her dress when a noise outside distracted her. It was Elena's voice. "I'm going to kill him," she screamed. Followed by Caroline, "Elena, wait, please."

Josie realized that Elena found the bites marks on Caroline. The ones that Damon had put there. Resolve found, she pushed Damon away.

"We shouldn't be doing this," she said. "I have a boyfriend and you're with Caroline."

"Screw both of them," Damon said, reaching for her again.

"No," said Josie, firmly, holding a hand up. "We're at the Founder's party. Derek's going to notice I'm gone. Then he'll alert Elena and your brother… Now isn't the time."

"And when will be the time?" asked Damon, looking annoyed, but seemingly resigned that perhaps now wasn't a good time.

Josie gave him a playful smile. "Guess we'll know when it happens." She turned around and thankfully made it out of the room.

She was just washing her hands when she got a message from Stefan. "It's on. By the lake."

She ran outside, past the party and down to the lawn near the lake. Damon was already passed out and Stefan was kneeling beside Caroline.

"Is she going to be okay?" Josie asked, biting her lip.

"She'll be fine," said Stefan. "He didn't take much before he passed out."

"Let me know when you have him safely locked away?"

Stefan nodded before taking off with Damon. Vampire speed was impressive, no doubt. She went over to Caroline, helping the drowsy girl back to the party.

Later, she tried not to feel guilty about her kiss with Damon as she danced with Derek.

It was the only way to get away from him, she reasoned. She did what any logical person would do when trapped in a room with a dangerous vampire who wanted to kiss you: You kiss him back and then make the first excuse you could to get out of there. But it didn't matter. Damon was locked in the Boarding House and she was never, ever, going to kiss him again.


	7. You're Undead to Me & Lost Girls

The day after Damon's capture, Josie drove over to the Boarding House. Damon was going to kill Zach soon and Zach was a good guy. He'd bought her coffee and made sure she was included in the plans for the Founder's Party. She wanted to save him. He didn't deserve to die.

"How's it going?" she asked, when Zach answered the door.

"Stefan has him in the basement," Zach said, as they walked into the house. "He's been injecting him with vervain."

"Hey Josie," said Stefan, coming up from the basement.

"Hey, how is he?"

"Still passed out. Has your sister?"

"Talked my ear off about what happened at the party? Yes, you should call her," said Josie.

"And tell her what?" asked Stefan. "There's no excuse for what Damon did to Caroline. I'm not leaving for a few days anyway."

"At least text her and tell her you're going out of town or something. Speaking of," continued Josie. "I don't think anyone except you should be here until Damon has desiccated. Just to be super safe."

"Josie, I appreciate your concern…" started Zach.

"I think she may be right," said Stefan. "Damon's threatened you before, Zach. He'll be desiccated in a week. I'll call you the minute I move him to the family crypt."

"Please, Zach," said Josie. "I'll sleep a lot better knowing you're safe. Please."

Zach sighed. "Alright. I have friends in Virginia Beach that keep asking me to visit them."

Josie smiled. "Perfect. Well, I should go. I'm having lunch with Derek."

That night, Josie tried to figure out the best way to free Damon. Caroline freed him in the show, but she couldn't remember how she got away. Now that she thought more about it, she realized it was Zach who intervened, was killed, and gave Caroline the time she needed to get away.

Now that Zach was gone, Damon would probably kill Caroline. But if Josie stopped Caroline, then Damon would be desiccated. She couldn't let that happen. He was instrumental in every major plot point of the whole show. And more often than not, he saved people. Damon had to live. It was better for everyone.

Finally, Josie decided she would just have to free Damon herself. With Zach gone, the house should be empty when Stefan was away. Damon didn't have his daylight ring, so she just needed to get out of the house to be safe. She started drinking extra doses of vervain just in case.

Stefan came to school after a few days. That day after school, she snuck off to the Boarding House, only to realize that Caroline was there too. Wow, Damon moved fast. Josie grabbed a bat from her back seat and ran into the house. She seriously needed her head examined. She couldn't help but feel responsible though. She'd basically doomed Caroline by saving Zach.

"Caroline, stop!" she shouted, just as Caroline was at the door to his cell. But it was too late. Damon tore the door open. He snarled and both girls screamed.

"Damon, stop" shouted Josie, moving forward holding the bat, adrenaline pumping through her veins.

Damon lunged for them. "Caroline, run!" Josie said, stepping back and hitting him with the bat. He stepped back. Not enough for her to turn her back though. She couldn't remember if he'd had vampire speed at this point.

Damon seemed to remember himself and saw that it was her.

"Josie?" he said, his voice a growl. "Josie, why did it have to be you?"

She was actually a little touched. "Damon, I…"

"Just.. just a little," he whispered, lowering his head. Okay, less touched.

Josie struggled, but couldn't get out of his iron grip. He bit down on her neck and she screamed. The pain was unimaginable, but with the extra vervain she'd been drinking, he didn't bite for long. His grip loosened and she sprinted up the stairs and out the front door.

She didn't see Caroline, so she just drove home and bandaged her neck as well as she could. She hoped she healed quickly. October in Virginia wasn't exactly scarf weather.

She didn't know what to do about Damon. She remembered that he'd attacked Vicky again at this point, but didn't kill her. Just brought her back to the Boarding House and made her a vampire.

Josie had to make sure that second part at least didn't happen. Vampire Vicky had been awful.

She thought Vicky had been his only victim, so she waited until sunset and then called Stefan to let him know that Damon had escaped.

Elena returned home from the carwash in a strange mood. She asked Josie if she had ever noticed anything strange about Damon and Stefan. Josie shrugged and gave some non-committal answers. Clearly, Elena was close to discovering the truth.

When she didn't hear from Stefan for an hour after sunset, she called him. He didn't answer. Oh god. What had Damon done? She should never have released him. What was she thinking? He was so dangerous now. She was so used to the Damon of the later seasons. Had he killed Vicky? Had he killed someone else? A bunch of someone elses?

Finally, after what felt like a million phone calls, Stefan answered.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"I'm at home, why? Where is Damon? Did you find him?"

"No. He said he was covering his tracks which means we've got several more bodies." Oh, no. "He threatened Elena unless I hand over his ring. Is she okay?"

"I can hear her complaining about you to Jenna," she said, opening her bedroom door. "She's fine, why don't you hand over the ring? Before she becomes unfine."

"The ring is the only leverage I have over him now."

"So? He has an invite to this house."

"Don't worry. I'm coming over. I'll watch over the house tonight."

"And are you going to do that every night from now until eternity?"

"I'll figure something out," said Stefan.

She scoffed, but didn't respond.

"There's something else," he said. "Elena knows. About me and Damon. What we are."

"Okay," said Josie. That felt fast, she expected it. "Does she know that I know?"

"No, we didn't exactly have time for a long chat. She ran away from me."

"Well don't take it too personally. She wouldn't be giving Jenna an earful if she didn't care. Doesn't sound like she's using the v-word though. Just how you're keeping secrets and blah, blah, blah."

"I offered to answer any questions she has. I have a feeling her curiosity is going to get the better of her."

"And soon, too. Probably," agreed Josie. She bit her lip. She wasn't sure when the right time to tell Elena that she knew was.

"I won't tell her that you know, if you don't want," offered Stefan.

"I'll tell her soon," promised Josie. "After you talk to her."

"Okay, I'll let you know when we talk."

"Okay. Uh, pack coffee, I guess," she said, before hanging up.

Afterwards, she thought about Damon and those innocent people he killed. She cried. A lot. She had been so focused on making this world the way she thought it should be, she ignored doing the right thing. Saving Zach seemed insignificant now. As much as she hated it, this world was starting to feel more and more real.

She had to fix this. Starting with Vicky Donovan. It was now hours after sunset. Instead of crawling into bed like she wanted, she went to the bathroom to get ready.

She took a shower, did her hair/makeup and put on what she thought was her most mature, but slightly sexy outfit. She threw on a coat and snuck out of the house.

Stefan didn't interrupt her as she left, even though she knew he must be nearby. He probably figured she was going to meet Derek. If he only knew where she was going.

She got in her car and headed to the Boarding House. Breathing deeply, she knocked on the door. Damon answered.

"Hello," he said, leaning against the door. "Didn't think you'd come back here. Just because you're on vervain doesn't mean I can't snap your neck."

Josie gulped. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"Though I suppose I should be thanking you," he continued. "You didn't tell Stefan I was out until it was too late."

"I was a little distracted," she said, fingering the scarf that was hiding her wound. "Nevertheless, I think you owe me one. Otherwise, you'd be back in your little cell."

"What do you want?" growled Damon, angrily.

"Vicky is missing. Jeremy hasn't heard from her for hours," she lied, as she already knew Vicky was here. "You attacked and kidnapped her before. You didn't…"

"She's still alive," shrugged Damon.

"Let her go. Please."

Damon looked like he was pretending to think about it. "I know Stefan has your daylight ring," Josie said.

"I didn't realize you and my brother were so close," said Damon, narrowing his eyes.

"I told him a while ago that I knew about him. He called me tonight to make sure Elena was safe at home. Apparently, you threatened her unless you got your ring back."

"I don't like being housebound," growled Damon.

"What if I told you I could get your ring back?" she asked. "What's that worth to you?"

"What do you want?"

Josie had already thought about this on the ride over.

"Two things," she said. "First, you stop killing people in Mystic Falls. While you're here, you catch, you feed, then you compel and release. As long as you feed on young, healthy people, it shouldn't be a problem. And it's less of a mess. For everyone. And no hurting me, my family or my friends."

"And the second?"

"You let Vicky go. But first you compel her to say goodbye to her brother, in person, so he knows she's okay, and then to move away from Mystic Falls and never contact my brother again. And no one can know that I asked you to do this."

Josie didn't want Vicky dead, but she didn't want her around Jeremy either.

Damon looked at her thoughtfully. "How do you know I'll live up to my end of the bargain? I am an evil, murderous vampire, after all."

"Ever heard of the Founder's Council, Damon? A secret society that dates from the founding of the town, to monitor supernatural activity in Mystic Falls. If I hear even the faintest hint that you're killing people again, or if something unfortunate like death or missing persons should happen to me, the first people who'll be made aware of who and what you are will be the Council."

She paused for effect. "You remember what happened the last time vampires were common knowledge in Mystic Falls, don't you Damon? If I read my ancestor's journals correctly, vampires weren't exactly on the winning side."

Damon looked hard at her. He was obviously thinking about Katherine. "And if I agree to your terms? How do you plan to get my ring?"

"Doesn't matter," she said. "If you don't get your ring back, feel free to not comply with my terms."

Damon looked her over. She was glad she had gotten dressed up. She had a feeling he was going to want more for her terms than just his ring.

"You have a deal…. as long as you agree to do a favor for me."

"And what's that?"

"Well there isn't anything I really want from you at the moment," he said. "Other than the obvious. And that would be a favor to you." Wow, he was cocky, Josie thought with a roll of her eyes.

Damon shrugged. "At some point in the future, I may want your help. As long as it doesn't hurt anyone, you have to do it."

Ugh. She didn't not like giving Damon some future, unspecified favor. But if it stopped him killing people, she would do it.

"Deal," she said, holding out her hand. He shook it, then tugged at it. She fell forward into him, but he pivoted, dipping her like they were in the middle of a dance and pressed his lips to hers. Before she could protest, she was upright again, standing in front of him.

"Is that how you seal all your deals?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Damon just smirked. "Hey Vicky," he called. She didn't respond. He sighed and Josie followed him into the living room. Vicky was lying on a couch, still breathing, but not conscious.

He bit his wrist and shoved it into Vicky's mouth. Once she was conscious, he compelled her to say goodbye to Matt, leave town and never contact Jeremy again. After she'd left, Josie told Damon she'd be back with his ring.

She could have just told Damon where Stefan was, but she had to be the one to get it. So it looked like she was in control. She drove back to her house, where she knew Stefan was on the lookout.

"Where's Damon's ring, Stefan?" she said, walking up the sidewalk. "I made a deal with Damon. He promised that he won't kill anyone else in Mystic Falls if you give it back."

Stefan walked down the steps of the porch. "You can't trust him, Josie."

"I told him I'll expose both of you to the right authorities if he doesn't stop killing people. I have safeguards in place in case anything happens to me. He'll stop. But you have to give him his ring back."

Stefan sighed. "I know. I can't protect her all the time." He paused. "So he just agreed to stop killing people in exchange for the ring? When he was already threatening Elena?"

"I can be very persuasive."

"What else did you promise to do for him?" Stefan asked.

"You let me worry about that."

"No, Josie. Damon is dangerous, what else did you promise to give him?" His protectiveness would be kinda cute if it weren't so annoying.

Josie shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted. "An unspecified favor in the future."

Stefan sighed and shook his head. "Knowing Damon, it could be anything. At least it wasn't…"

"He's not that much of an asshole," she said, shaking her head. "But it's worth it. Whatever it is in the future, it's worth it to keep this town safe."

She was surprised to realize it was true. The thought of anyone hurting her family and her friends, even if they weren't her real family and friends, was… unsettling. Plus, once she figured out a way to escape, she wouldn't have to do Damon any favors anyway.

"What's done is done," he said after several seconds. "Let's go." They drove to the old Salvatore house, where Stefan got Damon's ring.

Josie insisted that she be the one to deliver it to Damon, so she drove herself and Stefan back to the Boarding House. Damon was in his room when she knocked on the door, loudly. Thankfully, Stefan was standing just behind her, so Damon would behave himself.

He was shirtless when he answered. Damn him. "Hello, Josie," he said, smiling. "Where's my ring?"

She held it out and he snatched it and put it on before she could blink.

"I meant what I said, Damon," she said. "You kill, I spill. Clear?"

"Crystal," he smirked. "So, did you decide that now was the time or?" Josie scoffed, turned and left, without saying goodbye to either vampire. She got in her car and went straight to bed, exhausted.

A little while later, Josie sat up in her bed. She looked up and saw the stars. There was a dark-haired woman in a black suit crouching by a fire.

"Help!" she screamed. "You must help me!"

Josie sprang from her bed. "What's wrong? What can I do?"

"You must save him," the woman cried, cradling a baby in her arms. "He is everything I have in the world."

"Of course," Josie nodded. "What can I do?"

Then, the woman's face changed. Her eyes became black and fangs descended from her mouth. "You can die!" She sprang up and attacked Josie.

Josie sat up, panting. Looking around her room, she realized it must have been a dream. There was no woman, no fire. She rolled back over, falling fast asleep. But it wasn't the last time the dark-haired woman in the black suit would haunt her dreams.


	8. 162 Candles

The next day, Stefan called Josie to tell her he'd talked to Elena. Told her about vampires, Katherine, his turning, the whole bit. Apparently, it went better than he expected.

Without the horrible Vicky vampire incident, Stefan and Elena were still going out. Elena was getting used to the idea of him being a vampire. She actually seemed more annoyed that Josie had kept the secret from her.

But they had talked it out and hugged it out and seemed to be okay now. In fact, ever since Elena found out that Josie knew, they'd started to bond a bit. Elena reminded Josie of her own big sister, Sophia, back home.

Elena talked with her at length about Stefan and Josie did the same about Derek, who was getting annoyingly clingy. She knew why- she was busy enough with school, her friends, her family, and witch-hunting (she still hadn't given up hope), not to mention all the crazy supernatural drama, that Derek had kinda fallen by the wayside.

She felt bad, but she was thinking she might break-up with him soon. He was sweet and she liked spending time with him, but she didn't love him and hated having to lie to him all the time.

Zach was still in Virginia Beach. He'd decided to rent an apartment there and was planning to stay a while. She couldn't blame him. An apartment on the beach seemed preferable to the dusty old Boarding House with two vampires in it.

When Jeremy mentioned the Gilbert Watch was missing, Josie was surprised. She had forgotten about the vampire detector. It had become a non-issue at some point in the series, but she couldn't remember how. She supposed it couldn't hurt to figure out what the Founder's Council was up to.

She remembered that Damon had made efforts to ingratiate himself with the Founder's Council, so she headed to the Boarding House one morning to make sure he was still doing that. Also, she needed to let both Damon and Stefan know about the Gilbert Watch. She was so grateful to those Jonathan Gilbert journals. They were the perfect excuse for everything.

When she rang the doorbell to the Boarding House, she was surprised when Lexi answered the door. Lexi! How could she have forgotten about her? Damon was going to kill her to prove himself to the Council. As soon as Josie saw her, she wanted to save her.

"Hello," said the blonde vampire.

"Hi," said Josie. "Is Stefan or Damon around?"

"Stefan's out," said Lexi, who turned her head to the side and shouted, "Damon! I'm Lexi, by the way, an old friend of Stefan's. I'm in town for his birthday." She stuck out her hand.

"Josie," she said, shaking her hand. "I'm a friend of Stefan's too, I guess. I'm his girlfriend's sister."

"Girlfriend?"

"I'll let him tell you about that," said Josie, smiling. "So, are you…?" Lexi looked confused. "You know… Grr?"

Lexi laughed. "Yes, I'm a very old friend of Stefan's."

At that moment, Damon appeared at the door.

"Josie… To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I need to talk to you about the Founder's Council," she said, moving past both vampires.

"What about them? I thought you all were best buds since you promised to out me if I didn't behave," said Damon as he followed her into the living room. Lexi retreated up the stairs, leaving Damon and Josie alone.

"I know who's on it," said Josie, sitting on a couch. "Zach told me. I'm not telling you," she said as Damon started to open his mouth. "But as long as you and Stefan don't go around killing people, I think it's best they're kept in the dark."

"We're fine," said Damon, dismissing her concerns. "The Mayor's wife told me they have no suspects after the post-Founder's Party investigation was a bust."

"And you think they're just going to stop there?" asked Josie, shaking her head. "All those bodies you left lying around prove there is a vampire in town. Plus, they have this device my ancestor invented. It's a vampire detector."

"The Gilbert Watch?" asked Damon, concerned.

"You know it?"

"It's what they used to round up a bunch of vampires in 1864."

"Well Jeremy was complaining the other day that he couldn't find this old family watch. Right after Logan Fell was over at our house. He's on the council. According to Jonathan Gilbert's journals, it's the main piece of the vampire detection device."

"Do you know who has it now?"

"No. Could be any of the Council. That's why I came here. I'm still in high school. They'd never accept me as a member, but you... The Salvatores are a Founding Family. I was thinking you could take some of the vervain to the Sheriff. See if you can make some inroads there."

Damon nodded. "Why are you helping me? Don't want to see anything happening to me, huh?" He came over to her.

Josie scoffed. "It's not for you. Your brother is not a bad guy. My sister really likes him. If the Council thinks anything like my ancestor did, they're not going to differentiate between good vampires and bad vampires. As long as you don't kill people, it's best we keep your secret."

"I'll see what I can do," said Damon.

"Great," said Josie, getting up. "Keep me in the loop."

"I'll need your phone number for that," said Damon, smiling.

Josie pursed her lips. "Right," she said, grabbing his phone and putting her number in.

She turned to leave, but Damon caught her by the arm. "Leaving so soon?" he asked, smirking.

"I told you everything I'm willing to share about the Council. What else is there to discuss?"

"Why don't we discuss the fact that you've kissed me twice and run away both times?"

"Not to argue semantics, but you kissed me."

"And you kissed me back," said Damon, moving towards her. Before she knew what was happening, Josie found her back against the wall, silent under her intense gaze.

He started to lower his head, but the front door opening distracted them both. Josie pushed Damon away and made for the door.

"Hey Josie," said Stefan. "What are you doing here?"

"Just some business about the Council. Damon can fill you in. I'm meeting my boyfriend, Derek." She emphasized the word 'boyfriend' while looking back at Damon pointedly.

She met Derek, her friends, and their boyfriends at a local park, where they had a picnic. They were just finishing dessert when Bridget looked up from her phone.

"Party at the Grill tonight," said Bridget. "Caroline Forbes is hosting."

"What's the occasion?" asked Colin.

"Doesn't say," said Bridget. "Sounds like fun though. Caroline may be a gossipy bitch, but she throws great parties."

They all made plans to meet up at the party later. Josie was worried. She was pretty sure tonight is when Lexi died. She had to stop that from happening. She just wasn't sure how yet.

Once she got to the Grill, she kept an eye on Damon and Lexi throughout the night, but nothing much happened until nearly ten. She was sitting by the window with Derek and noticed the police lights outside. The police were here! Josie remembered that Damon had staked Lexi in front of the Sheriff.

She immediately raced over to where Lexi was talking to Damon at the bar. She had just reached Damon's side when the Sheriff came in with a scared-looking guy and girl, both of whom had neck wounds.

"What did you do?" asked Josie to both vampires.

"What do you mean?" asked Damon.

"I overheard the Sheriff and the Deputies talking- that couple was just attacked outside. They're here to identify their attacker."

Lexi and Damon looked over to where the Sheriff stood with the couple. Both of them pointed at Lexi.

"What did you do, Damon?" asked Lexi, grabbing him. "Attack that couple and compel them to think it was me?"

"Sorry, Lexi," said Damon in a whisper. "The local authorities were getting suspicious of all the bodies. It's nothing personal."

The Sheriff and her deputies were coming over.

"Lexi, get out of here. They have vervain," whispered Josie. "They'll kill you."

Thankfully, the blonde vampire dropped Damon and left out the side entrance.

The Sheriff came up. "Damon, are you alright? Did she hurt you?"

"Not too much," said Damon, rubbing a fake sore arm. "I tried to stop her, but she went out the side entrance. She must have known you were after her."

The Sheriff sighed. "That was dangerous, Damon. Let us handle her. We'll send out a search party. Though now that she's been outed, she'll probably skip town."

"Let me know how I can help," said Damon. "She threatened me and Josie here."

"It's too dangerous," said the Sheriff, shaking her head.

After the Sheriff left, Josie punched him in the arm.

"Ow," he said, rubbing his arm.

"Oh, like that hurt," said Josie, rolling her eyes. "Lexi is Stefan's friend. How could you do that?"

"I needed to get the Council off our trail, like you said. Lexi came into town at the wrong time."

"See why it's better that you catch, compel and release?"

"I didn't kill either one of those people tonight. I kept to our agreement."

"I noticed, thank you for that." She sighed, wondering at this world where she was genuinely thanking a person for not killing another person. "Well, I should get back."

"Why?" asked Damon, grabbing her hand. "Stay awhile. Join me in a celebratory drink."

"I'm not celebrating you exposing Lexi," she said, tugging her hand away from him. "Besides, Elena and are here and I don't think Derek would appreciate it."

Damon looked over her shoulder to where Derek was eyeing Damon and Josie with an annoyed look.

"You're still going out with that guy? We both know that's not who you want."

Josie frowned. "You don't know what I want."

"I know it's not him," said Damon, speaking low so only Josie could hear him. "You think that guy can keep up with you in a million years? He's too good, too… normal. You want someone exciting and dangerous, even if you won't admit it. That's why it's so hard for you to say no to me, even when you want to. That's why you can't stop thinking about what it would be like. And for the record.. it would be amazing."

He finished in a whisper and Josie stood frozen, entranced by his wicked words and his intense gaze.

"Josie?" came a voice. She blinked and turned toward Derek.

"Derek, hey," she said, hoping her voice sounded casual. "Did you see the Sheriff come in here? Apparently there was an attack tonight."

"Another animal attack?" asked Derek, putting an arm around her.

"Don't know. Sheriff Forbes didn't say."

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"Oh, yeah," said Josie. "Derek, this is Damon, Stefan Salvatore's brother. Damon, this is my boyfriend, Derek Matthews."

"Nice to meet you," said Derek, shaking Damon's hand.

"You too," said Damon. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Josie interrupted.

"Well, we should be going," said Josie. "Glad you could make it to the party, Damon."

She walked off with Derek. She could tell that Derek wanted to say something about Damon, but was glad he left it alone.

She stayed at the party a little while longer before she asked Derek to take her home.

They were just pulling into her block when it happened. It was almost like a flash in her mind, a mental spark. She saw a scene before her. It was Lexi. She was in a building, surrounded by flames. Damon and Stefan laid beside her. They were all coughing, struggling to move. She saw Elena and Bonnie outside the building. Elena was crying and Bonnie just held her, unable to help. The flames flared and Lexi screamed.

Josie gasped and was pulled back to reality.

"Josie, what's wrong?" asked Derek, looking over at her with concern.

"Nothing," she said, looking out the window so he couldn't see her face. "Just… just a headache."

What was that? Josie didn't understand. It had seemed so real. Like a scene from the show. Except that had never happened in the show. Lexi was dead and Damon had been saved from the burning basement by Stefan on Founder's Day. But it was Lexi and it was the burning basement on Founder's Day. She was sure. She didn't know how, but she was sure.

When they got to the Gilbert House, she hurriedly kissed Derek goodbye and raced inside. When she got to her room, she went into the bathroom. She looked paler than normal. She splashed some cold water on her face and looked at her reflection.

It was a vision. She knew. It was what was going to happen now that she had changed things. Saved Lexi. What the hell was happening to her? Why was she here? In this supposedly fake world?

She paused. What if she had been sent here? Been given the memories of the show and now, visions, to help her… do what? Save people? Change things? If so, change how? To what end? And who had sent her? The shadow of the dark-haired woman in the suit who haunted her dreams appeared. Then she vanished just as quickly.

"What do you want from me?" she asked aloud. Silence. "Please, what do you want from me?" she repeated, almost shouting. She walked back into her room and shut the door. "Answer me!" she shouted. "Why am I here?"

When no answer came, she walked to her bed and flopped down, unable to stop the flow of tears.

Once she was calm, she got up and went to her computer. Determined, she settled in for a long night of witch-hunting.

 **** **A/N: So I gave Josie visions. It will be important for the plot that she get updated versions of (some aspects of) the show, so… visions. It's really just an extension of her "ability" to know what's going to happen in the show.**


	9. History Repeating

After her disturbing vision on Stefan's birthday, Josie redoubled her witch-hunting efforts. She skipped school twice in one week, though both leads turned out to be dead ends. She didn't give up hope, though and dedicated as much time as she could to the search.

Lexi left Mystic Falls after Damon's betrayal, only stopping to say good-bye to Stefan. Josie got Lexi's number off Stefan, on the pretense of wanting to apologize for Damon's behavior, since it was she who suggested that Damon make nice with the Council. Really, she wanted Lexi's number for when Stefan inevitably went back on human blood. Josie was still determined to leave, but felt it was safer to hedge her bets.

Jeremy was making a renewed effort in school. He seemed to have stopped doing drugs and drinking, now that the influence of Vicky was gone.

With everything going on (school, family, friends, witch-hunting), Josie didn't have a ton of time for Derek. He was sort of understanding, but was getting increasingly suffocating. So, a few days after Lexi was in town, she broke up with him. She told herself it was because she didn't have the time, couldn't stand lying to him and she was leaving anyway. She hoped it wasn't because of what Damon said.

She was walking down the hallway of school, trying to avoid Derek, when she did a double take. There was Alaric Saltzman. The new history teacher, Bridget told her, giggling about what a fox he was. Josie had to agree.

That same day after school, she saw Damon harassing Bonnie about the crystal and Emily. She rolled her eyes. His pointless plan to get into the crypt even though Katherine wasn't there. She didn't want the tomb to be opened, but didn't think she'd be able to prevent it. Damon wouldn't stop until he got in.

Damon saw her looking and smirked, waving in her direction. He then looked at something behind her and when she turned, she saw Derek with a hurt look on his face.

Wanting to avoid them both, she made a beeline for her car. She unlocked it and to her dismay, Damon was in the passenger seat when she climbed in. Damn vampire speed.

"Hey Damon," she said tightly. She didn't want to completely isolate him. So far, he had been keeping her in the loop about his dealings with the Council. And it didn't seem like he was killing people.

"Did you come here just to harass Bonnie about Emily's crystal or for some other reason?"

"How do you know about that?' asked Damon.

"Elena tells me everything," she said. Which was true. She had 'accidently' walked in on Bonnie doing witchy stuff in Elena's room and was now in that particular circle of trust.

"You guys are close."

"Siblings should be that way," said Josie, pointedly.

"Oh the stories I could tell you about Stefan," said Damon, smirking. "You'd stop thinking of him as the good brother."

"The past is the past, Damon. He hasn't hurt anyone since I've known him." Though Ripper Stefan scared her. A lot.

"Well, I've been very good lately," said Damon. "Which means you still owe me one."

"Come to collect, then?"

"Not yet. Just like reminding you of our little agreement."

Josie sighed. "Well if that's it. I really should be going."

"Not to meet Mr. Football though? From the looks of it, you two broke up."

"Yeah, I just didn't like lying to him all the time. It wasn't fair to him."

"Is that the only reason?"

"Yes. He was a great boyfriend. He was sweet and caring."

"And boring and boring," Damon said, shaking his head. "Why can't you just admit that he wasn't enough for you?"

Josie rolled her eyes and didn't respond. "Are you getting out of my car or not?"

Damon looked at her. "Why didn't you ask me about the necklace?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Both Bonnie and Caroline grilled me about why I want that necklace. Everyone is trying to figure out why I'm in Mystic Falls. What my diabolical plan is. But you, you don't seem to care."

"I just know you won't tell me anyway," said Josie, but inwardly she was cursing at herself. Of course she didn't ask because she already knew. Playing Josie Gilbert all the time was exhausting.

"Doesn't stop everyone else from asking."

"Well maybe everyone else doesn't understand you like I do."

Damon looked at her thoughtfully. "Maybe."

"Would you tell me?" she asked. "If I asked you?"

"No. But I'd enjoy you trying to get information out of me," he smirked.

She rolled her eyes, but laughed at the same time. Cheeky Damon was fun.

"Get out of my car, Damon," she said, still chuckling a little. "I do have someplace to be."

He smiled and got out. "Until next time," he said, before shutting the door.

That night all hell broke loose. She, accidently-on-purpose, walked in on Elena, Caroline and Bonnie doing some kind of séance. As soon as Bonnie started acting out of the ordinary, Josie knew she must be possessed by Emily. Elena figured out where Bonnie was going when she took off and Josie insisted on going with Elena to the cemetery. She needed to make sure that Emily wasn't interrupted.

Unfortunately, they were a little late. Bonnie was already in a circle of fire and they arrived just in time to watch the crystal explode in midair. Damon looked murderous, veins under his eyes, fangs out. Elena and Josie rushed forward, but Elena was stopped by Stefan. Josie made it past him and threw herself in front of Bonnie.

"Damon, don't," she said, holding out a hand like she was calming an animal. "It wasn't Bonnie. It was Emily. She was possessed." Damon growled, but otherwise didn't move.

"Remember our bargain," Josie said, in a low, dangerous voice. Damon's face gradually went back to normal. He stumbled back, the weight of what had just happened falling on him.

Stefan moved to stand near Damon, clearly at the ready in case he decided to attack again. Elena rushed over to where Bonnie and Josie were.

"Bonnie are you okay?" asked Josie.

"Damon's face," said Bonnie, breathing heavily. "Did you see it? What is he?" Bonnie was looking at the Salvatore Brothers fearfully.

Josie sighed, as did Elena. "I'll explain everything," said Elena. "Let's just get out of here."

On the way home, Elena told Bonnie all about vampires and such. She said there shouldn't be anything to worry about anymore since both Stefan and Damon were leaving town.

Josie rolled her eyes at that. Yeah, eight seasons of the show would have been pretty boring if they'd left at this point. After dropping Bonnie off, Josie moved to the front seat and braced herself.

"So, explain," said Elena, clearly trying to keep her voice even. "What bargain did you make with Damon?"

"What does it matter?" asked Josie. "He's leaving anyway."

Elena just looked at her.

Josie sighed. "Fine. When Stefan took Damon's daylight ring, I told him I would get it back for him, after he had already escaped the basement. In return, he agreed to stop killing people in Mystic Falls."

Elena looked at her incredulously. "Are you telling me you went to Damon's house, alone, to make a deal with him? What were you thinking? He could have killed you."

"But he didn't," said Josie, defensively. "I had to do something. He was threatening you unless Stefan gave back the ring."

"So you let Stefan deal with him, Jo," said Elena, exasperated. "Or tell me or something! Anything besides seeking out a dangerous vampire alone."

Josie scoffed. "I'm fine," she said, rolling her eyes. Though admittedly, maybe it hadn't been the smartest move. "I can take care of myself, Elena." She was not a fucking baby, jeez. Like Elena didn't put herself in harm's way a million times to protect others.

Elena sighed and let Josie's reckless actions be for now. "So, he agreed to stop killing people for his ring?"

"His daylight ring," amended Josie. She paused and decided for honesty, since Stefan knew. "I also agreed to owe him one in the future."

"What?" exclaimed Elena. "How could you do that? Damon is dangerous, there's no telling what he'll ask you to do."

"It can't be any worse than him killing people. And it worked. I don't think he's killed anyone since we agreed. Although he did look like he was going to welch tonight," admitted Josie.

Elena was silent for the rest of the ride. Josie could tell she was angry though.

Later, Josie was getting a snack from the kitchen, talking to Jenna, when the doorbell rang. Jenna went to answer the door and Josie heard, "Logan."

Josie walked toward the front door curiously. Logan Fell? Her heart caught in her chest when she heard him begging for an invite to the house. How was he a vampire? She thought she had saved him when she prevented the whole vampire Vicky thing.

Then she remembered that Logan had been turned by Anna. Or one of her minions. She couldn't remember why. Why would he be useful to her?

Thankfully, Jenna seemed to be blowing him off. Josie grabbed her purse that had her vervain spray in it and made her way to the front door.

"I think she said no," said Josie, coming behind Jenna and crossing her arms. "I thought you were a Southern gentlemen."

Logan narrowed his eyes. "I just wanted to come in and talk."

"Good night, Logan," said Jenna, closing the door in his face. "What a jerk."

"Seriously," said Josie. "You should stay away from him. Doesn't take long for an ex to turn into a creepy stalker."

Jenna nodded. Josie excused herself and went to bed. It took a long time for sleep to come. Why is it that whenever she thought she was taking a step forward in this world, it came and smacked her back?


	10. The Turning Point & Bloodlines

The next morning, Josie made her way over to the Boarding House. Logan Fell was a vampire. She had to be sure that Stefan and Damon stuck around.

As much as she hated to go through the charade, she had to pretend to be ignorant. And that meant accusing Damon of turning Logan. As she pulled up to the Boarding House, she took a deep breath and prepared for her performance.

She entered the house without knocking, making a loud banging noise. "Damon!" she yelled. She walked into the entrance hall and called again, "Damon! Stefan!" As she entered the living room, she saw Damon having a drink and Stefan coming down the stairs.

"What's your problem, Josie?" asked Damon. "Don't know if you remember, but I had a really shitty night."

Josie just crossed her arms, throwing herself into the role. "Why'd you do it?" she asked. "Is it because he's on the Council? I can't believe I actually trusted you when you said you were holding up your end of the bargain."

"Are you going to fill me in on what I'm supposed to have done?" asked Damon, seemingly unconcerned at Josie's rant. Guess everything seemed like small potatoes now that he thought he'd lost Katherine forever.

"Logan Fell, Council Member, who's been 'out of town' for a while showed up at our house late last night. In the dark. Begging for an invite," said Josie. "And since Stefan's got this whole self-loathing, brooding vampire thing going on. And you swore you were the only vampires in town. That leaves you Damon."

"Logan Fell's a vampire?" asked Stefan.

"Yes," said Josie. "So…?" She looked pointedly at Damon.

"It wasn't me," said Damon, now with a little anger in his voice. "You think I'd turn that waste of space?"

"Well then who did it?" asked Josie.

Stefan turned to Damon. "This is serious, Damon. If you didn't turn Logan…"

"Then there's another vampire in Mystic Falls," finished Damon.

"Another vampire," said Josie. "Great... I think you need to cancel your holiday plans, Stefan," said Josie with a worried look on her face. It was somewhat concerning how good she was getting at lying and faking emotions. Playing Josie Gilbert was starting to become second nature.

"What about me?" asked Damon.

"Are you going to help us find the vampire and stop it?" asked Josie.

Damon rolled his eyes, "Why would I do that?"

"Then why would I ask you to cancel your holiday plans?" asked Josie, rolling her eyes right back.

Damon opened his mouth to retort when the doorbell rang.

"Who is it?" asked Josie. "Elena will kill me if she finds me here."

Damon went to go answer the door. "Sheriff," he said, loud enough so that Josie could hear.

Stefan nodded toward an open door and Josie went inside what appeared to be a closet. The old door was so thick she couldn't hear anything through it. Boo.

Why was the Sheriff here? Logan must have attacked someone last night after he'd left the Gilbert House.

After a few minutes, Stefan opened the door. He put his hands to his lips.

"Damon and the Sheriff are talking outside," whispered Stefan, clearly listening to their conversation. "There was another vampire attack last night."

"Logan?" asked Josie.

"Most likely."

"Why is the Sheriff talking to Damon about it?"

"She thinks maybe he can help find the vampire that did it. The rest of the Council is stumped apparently."

Josie nodded. "I should get to school. I'd rather the Sheriff didn't find me here."

Stefan nodded. She left quietly and drove to school.

Stefan texted her during the day to let her know that Damon was trying to find Logan. Since they knew the identity of the vampire, it shouldn't be too hard to track him down. He also let Josie know that he'd talked to Elena about it.

Elena dragged both her and Bonnie into a classroom during lunch to talk to them about the Logan situation. Elena, again, was not happy that Josie had sought out Damon and Stefan alone.

"What were you thinking?" asked Elena, shaking her head.

Josie shrugged. "I thought Damon had welched for real this time. Stefan was there."

"Damon wanted to kill me last night," said Bonnie. "You need to be careful."

"I'm fine," said Josie, dismissively. "Damon's trying to infiltrate the Council. He's not going to kill me."

Josie endured a few more minutes of Bonnie and Elena's lecture before she left. Now she knew how Jeremy felt.

Later, she was at the Career Fair when she saw Logan talking to a group of students. She dialed Stefan.

"Hello?" he answered. It sounded like he was at the Career Fair too.

"Are you at school?" she asked. "Logan's here. He's in the hallway outside the Math classrooms."

Stefan didn't reply, just appeared in the hallway on the other side of Logan. Logan walked up to Stefan, who was followed by Elena.

Josie pulled out her phone and dialed Damon, letting him know where Logan was.

"I'll be at the school soon," he said. "I ran into Logan earlier today, but he got away."

"Did he say who turned him?"

"No. All he wanted to do was talk about how he could walk in the sun and shoot me full of wooden bullets."

"Ouch," she said, walking along the hallway.

"Well, you can give me a kiss and make it better," said Damon. She could hear his smirk.

Josie laughed. "Pretty sure your vampire healing will be better than anything I can offer you."

"What about for my wounded pride?"

Josie laughed again. "Just get over here to take your revenge before he hurts someone else." She looked up and saw that Jeremy and Tyler were fighting. "Shit, I have to go."

Thankfully, the Mayor and Alaric were able to break up the fight. The Mayor led Jeremy and Tyler outside. Josie came to stand beside Alaric.

"Where is the Mayor taking Jeremy?" asked Josie. "Is he in trouble again?"

"He and Tyler just had a small disagreement," said Alaric. "We stopped it before it got out of hand."

"Knowing Jeremy and Tyler it could quickly get out of hand again," said Josie, heading for the door. Alaric followed her.

"I said fight!" said the Mayor, pushing Tyler toward Jeremy.

"Whoa, what's going on out here?" asked Alaric.

"Just letting these two kids work it out," said the Mayor. "We're good here. Go back inside."

"I don't wanna go back inside." Man, Alaric was brave. Even in this fake world, the Mayor intimidated Josie. "What I want is an answer to my question. What's going on out here?"

At that, the Mayor fully turned his attention toward Alaric. "Who do you think you're talking to? Do I look like a student?"

"No," said Alaric. "You look like a full-grown alpha male douchebag." Josie's jaw dropped. Balls of steel.

"I'm the Mayor. You don't talk to me like that. I could have your job like this." He snapped his fingers.

"You do that," said Alaric, widening his stance. "Then it'll be you and me in this parking lot, working things out. You cool with that?"

The Mayor looked furious, but he also looked like he didn't want to fight Alaric. "You just marked yourself," said the Mayor. He went inside, followed by Tyler.

"Are you okay, Jeremy?" asked Josie, giving him a hug.

"I'm fine," said Jeremy, hugging her back.

"Good," said Josie, moving back and punching him in the arm.

"Ow!" exclaimed Jeremy.

"What is it with you and Tyler?" asked Josie. "Vicky is gone. Tyler apparently has enough problems without you adding to them."

"He started it."

"He started it? What is this kindergarten?"

With that, Alaric, Jeremy and Josie went back inside the school.

Josie was talking to Bridget and Colin when Stefan showed up. He pulled her aside and updated her about Logan taking Caroline, etc.

"Have you heard from Damon?" she asked. "Is he dead? Like dead, dead?"

"Not yet, but he's a new vampire. He's no match for Damon."

Josie nodded, she saw Elena looking over at them.

"I should get back to my friends," said Josie. "You should update her."

"Can't you do it?" asked Stefan.

"I could," she said. "But when are you gonna stop fooling yourself? You can't stay away. You know you can't."

"I have to try."

"No, you have to stop jerking her around."

Josie saw Tyler walking alone toward the front door of the school. Poor Tyler. She'd forgotten what an ass the Mayor was. "Text me when Logan's grey and veiny," she told Stefan and left.

She went back to her friends and told them she was going home. By the time she walked out of the school, Tyler was talking to Jeremy.

"I thought that was weird with your dad. What he did. Is he like that all the time? Is that what you gotta go through?" asked Jeremy. Ouch. Pity is not what Tyler wanted, she was sure.

"Hey," said Josie, announcing her presence. "I think Jenna was looking for you, Jer."

"Okay," said Jeremy, turning to look at her. "I'll see you, Tyler."

"Sorry about my brother," said Josie, moving forward. "He… means well."

"Yeah," said Tyler, looking uncomfortable. "I gotta go." He turned to leave.

"Wait! I saw your drawings in there," she said. "You're really talented. Every time I try and draw something, it comes out all stick-figurey."

Tyler smiled at that. "I remember. I sat next to you in 8th grade Art."

Josie laughed. "You need a ride home?"

"Sure."

It was pleasant on the ride home. They talked about the Career Fair, school, pop culture. Once you got past the macho exterior (she had noticed the full moon tonight), Tyler was a cool guy. No wonder Josie Gilbert had gone out with him once upon a time.

Tyler mentioned Derek's name in passing when he was talking about football.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to…"

"No, it's okay. It was for the best." She paused. "So… what about you? Vicky left town. Any new girls in your life?"

"No one special. I'm not exactly a couple person."

Josie laughed. "I noticed. I guess that's why we never worked out."

Tyler nodded. "That and I believe you said I was a first-class jerk."

"Did I say that? I'm sorry. That wasn't very nice of me."

"Maybe you weren't 100% wrong," he admitted.

Josie looked at him, tilting her head. "Do you think there's any scenario where you and I could be friends? Or is it not okay, because you and Derek are friends?"

"I think I can be friends with both of you," he said, getting out of the car. They had arrived at his house. "Thanks for the ride."

Josie smiled. "No problem. Hey, do you like The Black-Eyed Peas?"

"Yeah."

"I have an extra ticket to their concert in Richmond next week. A bunch of my friends are going. You wanna go, as friends?"

Tyler smiled. "Sure."

She smiled back and pulled away.

Maybe Tyler wasn't such a bad guy. And remembering his storyline, she could try and stop him from triggering the curse. Plus, he had the moonstone. It wasn't a horrible idea for them to be friends.

Once she got home, she texted Damon and he replied, saying Caroline was okay and Logan was dead. Breathing a sigh of relief, she got into bed. And for the first time since she arrived, she forgot to say a silent prayer that she'd wake up in her real bed the next morning.

When Stefan called her the next day, asking if she'd seen Elena, Josie realized she must be on her roadtrip with Damon. She played ignorant with Stefan and when she saw him talking to Bonnie at school (probably about a locator spell), she walked in the other direction. Same with Jenna's calls and texts. No one had been hurt when Elena went with Damon, so Josie didn't want to get involved.

She was shooting pool with her friends after school when Damon walked into the Grill. She saw Alaric there as well, giving Damon the side-eye. She wondered if he'd figured out that Damon 'killed' his wife.

She was watching Bridget take a shot when she doubled over, gasping as another vision hit her. She saw Lexi with her boyfriend, walking hand in hand in Rio de Janeiro. They both looked happy, clad all in white, as they joined the throngs of people on Copacabana Beach, ready to ring in the new year.

"Josie, are you okay?" asked Tracy, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah…." Josie replied, rubbing her head. "Just this headache. I… I didn't get much sleep last night."

Bridget, Tracy and Colin looked concerned, but seemed to buy her explanation. Josie appreciated that it was a happy vision, rather than one of death and destruction. Though New Years was before Founder's Day, so both of her visions involving Lexi could still come true.

Josie excused herself and retreated to the restroom to catch her breath. After a few minutes, she came out and decided she needed a drink. A real drink. She walked up to the bar, ordered a diet coke, and turned to Damon.

"Have fun in Georgia?" she asked, leaning on the bar.

"Some," he replied. "Aren't you going to yell at me for kidnapping your sister?"

Josie shrugged. "Elena's fine. Besides, it does sound like you scared away that other vampire…"

"Stefan doesn't see it that way."

"Stefan's hardly one to judge." Seriously. Considering he was a ripper, Stefan's holier-than-thou attitude was a bit hard to take at times.

Damon smiled at that. Josie knew he thought she meant the Katherine look-alike secret.

"I don't suppose you could compel him to slip some Jack Daniels in there?" she asked, eyeing the very virgin diet coke the bartender had just delivered.

"I could," he said. "If you sit and drink it with me."

Josie smiled and shook her head. "Okay."

He turned and compelled the bartender.

"So… No clue as to who the mystery vampire could be?" asked Josie, sitting on the stool beside him. She honestly couldn't remember who that vampire had been.

Damon shook his head. "Whoever turned Logan is still a mystery."

"So why are you still here?" she asked, playing the ignorant Josie Gilbert. "Sounds like Katherine has become a permanent addition to the tomb. Shouldn't you be in Mykonos or Ibiza, partying and screwing your sorrows away?"

Of course she knew why he was still here. There was another way into the tomb.

"Mmmm… let's just say I'm intrigued by the mysterious vampire myself," said Damon. "Ibiza will still be there when I'm done here." He took another drink. "Besides, this town isn't completely without its charms." He looked her up and down blatantly.

Josie rolled her eyes and finished her drink. "Well we could use your help to find the other vampire."

"Wait," said Damon, grabbing her arm. "Have another drink with me."

Josie bit her lip, considering it. She was feeling pleasantly warm from her Jack and coke. She'd been so stressed out lately. Between dumping Derek and the show drama and her fruitless witch-hunt. Just being Josie Gilbert was exhausting. She really, really wanted another drink.

"Okay," she said, sitting back down. One more drink turned into several. And before she knew it, she was, well, not drunk, but very tipsy. When the other patrons started noticing, Damon took her out of the Grill and put her in his car.

"I don't want to go home," she said, frowning. "That's where all the drama lives."

So, Damon drove them back to the Boarding House, telling her he'd make her some coffee. However, when they got there, she made a beeline for the booze and she and Damon had another few rounds.

Damon put on some music and they were dancing and just generally having a good time. One minute they were dancing and the next, they were kissing. She blinked and he had her flat against the wall, her legs wrapped around him, grinding into her.

She was out of control and she knew it. She just didn't care. She was so sick of the drama of this world. She missed home. Her real home. Where she could date normal people and be happy. Where her parents were alive and her siblings were normal. Where she could just be herself and didn't constantly have to pretend to be someone else. It felt so good to be out of control.

She reached down and tried to undo Damon's belt. She had managed to get it open when the world blurred crazily and she found herself in Damon's bedroom. He hastily removed her clothes as well as his own and pushed her back on his bed.

He kissed her hungrily while his hand drifted down to the apex of her thighs. "You're soaked," he smiled on her lips. "I want to see if you taste as good as you smell." And then, his lips left hers and made a wet trail down her torso, over her stomach and to her core.

He didn't waste any time sucking her clit into his mouth and she moaned loudly, gripping the sheets for support. He brought his hand up and plunged two fingers inside her, setting a steady pace as he sucked and flicked her clit in unison. It didn't take long for her to start contracting around his fingers, screaming out her release.

He let her ride out her orgasm on his fingers before putting them in his mouth and sucking them. Her eyes darkened at the sight and she decided she wanted a taste too. She sat up and pushed him on his back.

She leaned down and licked his length in one long stroke. He let out a groan. Smiling, she took him in her mouth and started moving up and down. He let her continue for another minute or two, then he pulled her off and, in a move that only a vampire could achieve, picked her up and impaled her on his dick.

She let out a gasp and a loud moan. He felt amazing. She was nearly there to a second orgasm. She started bouncing up and down, bracing herself on Damon's chest. He smiled and pulled her down for a kiss.

Before she knew it, he had rolled them over, still inside her and was pounding into her. He was kissing her and she moaned into his mouth as her second orgasm washed over her. He followed soon after, groaning as he emptied himself inside her. He dropped beside her, rolling onto his back.

She felt a slight twinge of guilt when she thought about how much better Damon was in bed than Derek. Not sated, he took her two more times before they both succumbed to sleep.

When she awoke, the sun was up and Damon was still sleeping beside her. She groaned when she tried to lift her head, vowing never to drink again. She tried to silently slip out of bed, but Damon's arm shot out and she found herself flat on her back with Damon hovering over her.

"Good morning," he said, swooping down to kiss her.

"What's good about it?" she asked, grumpily, holding a hand to her head.

"I can show you," he smirked, bending down to kiss her neck.

"Ugh, not until the world stops spinning and I don't feel like vomiting," she said, pushing on him.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Why don't you take some?" he bit his wrist and offered it to her. "And then we can continue."

Josie wrinkled her nose. Gross. Though it was tempting, she felt awful. She hesitated for too long and the wounds healed. He rolled his eyes, bit his wrist again and practically shoved it in her mouth. It tasted… odd, but she managed to keep it down long enough for the blood to work its magic.

"Hmm…," she said, reaching up to grab his face and pull him down for a kiss. He took her two more times before they finally climbed out of bed.

"This is just between us," said Josie, grabbing her purse. "Oh god, Stefan didn't hear us you think?"

Damon smiled and came up to her, grabbing her by the waist. "I think the people down the road heard us. Well they at least heard you."

"You don't think he knows it was me?"

Damon shrugged. "Not necessarily. Why?"

"Because I don't want anyone to know. Elena would kill me. She saw what you did to Caroline."

"That's completely different," said Damon, frowning.

"Yeah," said Josie, absentmindedly touching her neck. "I mean, not that I want you to or anything, but why didn't you?"

"Bite you?" finished Damon.

Josie nodded.

Damon shrugged. "I knew you didn't want me to."

"And Caroline wanted it?"

"I didn't give a fuck what Caroline wanted."

Josie was surprised at that. She knew that she had some Elena-adjacent protection. But there was something else she saw in his eyes that she didn't anticipate: respect.

"Well, I… appreciate it. Is Stefan home? You have to drive me to the Grill. My car is still there."

Thankfully, they didn't run into Stefan when exiting the house. When they got to the Grill, she turned to him and he pulled her in for a kiss. Damn, she could feel herself getting excited already. Ugh, she needed to stop this. Why had she agreed to drink with him last night? She knew that, if he offered, she would be coming back for more.

"I've got to go," she said, before it got out of hand.

"What are you doing tonight?"

"I'm going out with some friends. But afterwards I'll be sleeping in my bed. All alone with just my pillow for company," she said, hoping he'd take the hint. This was just for fun. Some… stress release. Until she made her inevitable escape.

Thankfully, he didn't seem to mind. "Well, maybe I'll come and keep you company."

And he did. From then on out, he kept Josie company most nights. They kept quiet most of the time, though she suspected that Stefan knew what they were doing.

They would have sex, talk for a bit, then he would leave and she would have the bed to herself for the night. She was surprised to realize that Damon was quickly becoming a friend. He told her about his past, Katherine, his hopes for the future. She shared with him too. What she felt comfortable sharing, at least.

And all the while, she knew it was wrong. So wrong. She knew it wasn't love or even affection. She didn't really know what it was for him (they never talked about that). For her, it was… escape. A chance to forget her fake life for a while.

Whenever something crazy supernatural happened, or she had a stressful day at school, or another witch-lead went dry, she took some comfort in knowing that night she'd have an insatiable vampire buried deep inside her, making her forget over and over again.


	11. Unpleasantville

Later that day, Josie knocked on Elena's door to let her know dinner was ready. She frowned when there was no answer. She knew Elena was home.

"Elena?" called Josie. "Dinner's ready."

"I'm not hungry."

"Everything okay?"

"I'm fine," replied Elena, not sounding fine at all.

Sighing, Josie continued, "I'm coming in." She waited a few seconds, thinking she'd hear a protest. When none came, she went in and shut the door behind her.

"What's wrong?" Josie asked, sitting next to Elena on her bed. "Is it Stefan?"

Elena shook her head. "Stefan… explained things. We're okay." Then she proceeded to tell Josie about how Katherine and her looked exactly alike and that's why she'd run away from Stefan, etc.

"Okay, if it's not Stefan…" Josie trailed off. "You can tell me anything, you know."

Josie was surprised to realize it was true. She considered Elena a friend, if nothing else. Elena's annoying overprotectiveness aside, Josie was upset that Elena was upset. When had that happened?

"I'm… adopted."

"What?" exclaimed Josie, though she already knew. "Adopted? How do you know?"

"Stefan told me. When he looked into my birth records to see why I looked so much like Katherine."

"Oh, Elena, I'm sorry," said Josie, pulling her into a hug. "You will always be my sister. No matter what. This doesn't change anything for me."

She felt bad saying it, but knew it was what Elena needed to hear. And Josie hating seeing her upset. But she had to remember that either way, Elena wasn't really her sister. It was stupid to get too close. She was leaving… someday. She was close to tracking down some witches in Ohio. And she had a lead in Toronto.

Josie and Elena hugged and talked for a while. They agreed to wait to tell Jeremy when the time was right.

After Logan died, some time passed without any supernatural drama in Mystic Falls. Josie tried to balance her normal life with her witch-hunting.

She'd started hanging out with Tyler as well. They'd had a blast together at the Black Eyed Peas' concert. He was fun and she enjoyed talking to him.

Then, one night, Elena was (sort of) attacked outside the Grill. The hooded vampire threatened her, though she managed to escape.

The next day, Josie was at the Grill, playing pool with Jeremy, when Anna showed up. Josie hung back after Jeremy introduced her to Anna, but he insisted they make a hasty exit.

"What was that?" Josie asked Jeremy, when they were in the car. "You didn't tell me Anna was gorgeous." They'd talked about Anna before, in the context of his vampire essay.

"I'm grateful she helped me with my paper, but I'm… just not over Vicky yet."

Josie tried not to roll her eyes. "Vicky's gone, Jer. She left without saying good-bye. I know it's hard, but you should move on too. Anna seems nice."

She's also trying to use you to avenge her vampire mother, Josie thought. But Anna turned out alright in the end.

They went home to get ready for the 50s dance. Josie was going with Tyler, as friends. As she was getting ready, Elena knocked on her door, already in her 50s outfit.

"Hey, did you need a ride?" asked Elena. "Jenna already left- she's chaperoning with Alaric."

Josie smiled. "Ooooh, you think that's like a date in old people world?"

Elena laughed. "Probably."

"Tyler's supposed to pick me up in a bit," said Josie, looking at the clock.

"Good. So… I talked to Jenna about my adoption."

"Wow, okay. Did you find out anything useful?"

"Just that my mom was a teenage runaway. Her name was Isobel. She left after giving birth to me."

"Isobel?" repeated Josie. "Are you going to try and find her?"

Elena sighed. "I don't know. For tonight, I'm just going to have fun at the dance with Stefan."

Josie smiled. "I'll see you there."

A minute later, Josie heard a commotion downstairs and arrived to see Stefan comforting Elena.

"What happened?" asked Josie.

Elena explained that the hooded vampire was on the ceiling and jumped on her. By the time she finished her explanation, Damon was there. It was the first time Josie had seen him in public since they started their nightly visits. Thankfully, he acted like the same old Damon.

They talked for a few minutes and finally came up with the plan to use Elena as bait at the dance to try and flush the vampire out. Josie didn't like the idea, but could see no other option. And she remembered it had all turned out okay, anyway.

The vampire had an invite to their house and was after Elena. He had to die, simple as that.

The doorbell rang after they had finalized the plan. Damon and Stefan tensed.

"Relax, guys," said Josie, laughing. "If he was coming back for round two I don't think he'd ring the doorbell. It's probably just Tyler."

"Tyler?" asked Damon.

"Tyler Lockwood," said Elena, while Josie went to the door. "He's Josie's date to the dance."

Josie opened the door. "Hey, Tyler," she said, giving him a hug.

"Hey, Josie," he said, smiling. "You ready to go?"

They arrived at the school and headed into the gym. "Now you know that, as my 'just as friends date', I'm entitled to at least a few dances tonight," said Josie, with mock seriousness.

"Really?" asked Tyler, grinning.

"Yes, didn't I put that in my original stipulations?" asked Josie, as they walked in. She spied Derek with a cheerleader and was surprised when she only felt a twinge of guilt and jealousy.

Tyler smiled and allowed himself to be dragged to the dance floor. They stayed on the dance floor for a few songs, soon joined by Stefan and Elena.

Josie and Elena were taking a break from dancing when Elena got a call from the hooded vampire. It was clear from their conversation that he was threatening Jeremy. Elena followed his instructions and Josie slowly backed away to find Damon. He took off as soon as Josie told him what had happened.

Elena came back to the dance after a while and found Josie, who was dancing with Tyler again. Elena just said it was taken care of and that she was going home.

Josie stayed at the dance for a little while longer, then went with Tyler to the after party. They split up there, each going to their friends. Bridget, Colin, and Tracy were doing shots in the kitchen and Josie joined them. It was after 2am that Josie snuck back into her house, driven home by a fairly sober Tracy.

"Where were you?" came a voice after she'd entered her room.

Josie nearly screamed. "Jesus Christ, Damon, what the hell? What are you doing here?"

"Well after killing the vampire tonight, I was hoping we could celebrate." He blurred over to her and started kissing her neck.

She giggled. "Sorry about that. There was an afterparty at Tyler's."

"So you were with him?"

Josie nodded. "Yeah. Next time I'll text you if I'm not going to be home. So you don't waste the trip."

"Are you two dating?" he asked, his lips still on her neck.

"No. Why?" asked Josie, moving away from him to remove her jewelry. "Our arrangement is intact for now," she chuckled.

"For now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, until you get Katherine out of the tomb," Josie said, hoping to distract him from the Tyler subject. The last thing she needed was Damon even hinting jealousy. She thought she might have to end this soon if he kept asking about fucking Tyler.

Damon just smiled and kissed her. It didn't take long before they'd shed their clothes and he was sliding into her. Afterwards, he told her about Stefan's offer to help him get Katherine out of the tomb. Playing ignorant Josie Gilbert, she asked him what he and Katherine would do when she was free.

"I don't know," he said, putting his hands behind his head. "Travel maybe?"

"Do you ever think about what your life would have been like if you hadn't met her?"

"Well I'd be dead now."

"Okay, your life in the 1800s."

"I don't know," said Damon, turning to look at her. "There was a girl that I was supposed to marry. She was a Forbes."

"Really? It was, like, an arranged marriage?"

"Pretty much," said Damon, nodding. "Katherine's the only woman I've ever loved."

Poor Damon, she thought. Katherine didn't deserve him.

Josie sighed. "I've never been in love."

"I thought you loved what's his face? Derek?"

She frowned. "I wanted to."

"You can't force love."

"Tell me about it," she said, shaking her head. "What's wrong with me? I mean, the guy was almost perfect. He was handsome, and sweet and funny. He practically worshipped the ground I walked on."

"I told you before," said Damon, propping his head up on his hand. "You want excitement. Danger. Passion. That's why you like being with me," he smirked. "I'm not boring."

But I don't love you either, she thought. Could she ever have both? Excitement and passion, but with security and love? Pushing her too-serious drunken thoughts away, she leaned over and kissed him, letting him make her forget in the way only he could.


	12. Children of the Damned & Fool Me Once

The next week, life continued in Mystic Falls. Her Toronto witch lead had turned out to be a bust, but on Friday, she skipped school because she'd finally tracked down the Ohio witches to a Cincinnati suburb. After she got an even worse welcome than before, though she'd tried to be more tactful, she decided to give up the search for a while. She had no more leads anyway. Bonnie was going to be a real witch soon, she'd just have to be patient.

She was just thankful she hadn't had a vision since the one of Lexi in Brazil. Though being Josie Gilbert was becoming second nature to her, she didn't think she'd ever get over the creepy, invasive feeling she got when she had a vision.

Still, she was angry and disappointed about her hopeless situation. She stayed in her room the entire weekend, not even coming out for meals, saying she was sick and wanted to be left alone. Ironically, Damon didn't come to her either.

She soon found out why when Stefan called her in a panic. He explained that he and Elena had found Emily's Grimoire. Damon had it, but Elena had been kidnapped by Anna. Anna, who was a vampire that was trying to get her mother, Pearl, out of the tomb.

Wow, she'd missed a lot while she'd been moping in her room.

"Can you talk to Damon?" asked Stefan.

"About what?" Josie asked. "You think he knows where Elena is?" She couldn't remember if Damon knew what motel Anna was staying at or not.

"He's talked to Anna. He may know where she's living."

"Why don't you talk to him? He's your brother."

"I didn't exactly tell him when Elena and I found Emily's Grimoire."

"So you lied to him when you told him you were helping him."

"I… Yes."

"And you think he'll tell me where Anna is?"

"Maybe. You and he are…" Stefan trailed off.

"We're having sex, Stefan. We're not in a relationship. We're… maybe friends? But, he's not going to tell me anything if he thinks you betrayed him."

Seriously, has Stefan met Damon?

"I've been searching all of Mystic Falls since last night, but I don't have a lead or anything." He paused. "Will you at least try?"

Josie sighed. That's what the dark-haired woman in the suit had said in her dream last night, begging for Josie to help her. 'Will you at least try?' Josie closed her eyes, trying to focus on the issue at hand, not the woman haunting her dreams.

"Of course," she told Stefan. Even though Elena should be fine, she figured she'd try.

When she got to the Boarding House, she didn't bother knocking. She just walked in and found Damon in one of the sitting rooms, reading the Grimoire.

"Here to pump me for information?" he asked, not looking up.

"You know?

"That Elena's been kidnapped. Yeah, I got the 600 voicemails from Stefan."

"Do you know where she is?"

"Nope."

"Are you lying?"

"Why would I tell you if I were?" asked Damon dismissively, still not looking up.

"I didn't betray you. I didn't know Stefan wasn't really helping you. It wasn't fair of him." And it was true. She'd forgotten that detail.

"Your sister was in on it too," said Damon. "She lied right to my face when I asked her if Stefan was on the up and up."

"Then that wasn't fair of her either," said Josie, sighing. "Please, Damon."

Damon scoffed and shook his head. "I hope she dies."

It took a few seconds for his words to sink in. When they did, Josie was furious. She had begun to think of Damon as a (sort-of) friend. That he was finally coming around. That he'd stopped being a complete dick. Clearly, she didn't remember this season as well as she thought.

"Fuck you, Damon," said Josie, taking a nearby glass and throwing it at him.

He caught it and put it down. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" asked Josie, picking up another glass. "This?" She threw it at him again, still livid.

He caught it for the second time and used vampire speed to shove her roughly against a nearby wall. "I told you not to do that," he growled.

"Get off me!" she shouted, banging on his chest. "I can't believe I thought for one second you could actually be a decent person. That every fucked-up thing you did was for love. For Katherine."

Damon didn't reply, but released her from his iron grip.

Josie rubbed her arms where he'd gripped her. "But now I see… you're just an asshole. You hope Elena dies?" she repeated, stomping toward the door. "I hope Katherine never gets out of that tomb," she said, voice dripping with venom. "I hope you spend the rest of eternity missing her. It's no more than you deserve."

She felt a little guilty when she realized how true her words actually were, given where Katherine had been all these years.

Damon appeared in front of her, blocking the door. "Big talk from a little human," he growled, eyes darkening and veins appearing under his eyes. "I know you've stopped drinking vervain. I can't smell it on you anymore."

Josie gasped. It was true. Ever since Elena had handed out vervain trinkets to the whole family, she'd stopped putting vervain in the coffee. Her small plant could only produce so much, so she'd been conserving her resources.

Josie reached into her purse and held out her vervain sprayer. "Get out of my way, Damon," she said with a lot more courage than she felt.

"Or what?" he asked, blurring in front of her and throwing her sprayer to the side, fangs still out.

Josie must have looked terrified because Damon sighed an instant later and stepped back, apparently taking pity on her. "Just leave," he said in a low voice. "And tell my brother to go fuck himself."

She ran out of the house and drove home. She called Stefan on the way, letting him know that she didn't get any information out of Damon.

She wasn't sure what to think. Damon was obviously hurt by Stefan's betrayal. She couldn't blame him. Maybe she would have gotten farther by sympathizing instead of lashing out in anger. It wouldn't be the first time her temper had gotten her in trouble.

The next day, she got a series of texts from Stefan, updating her on his search for Elena. When he said he was going over to Bonnie's Grams' house, she decided to join him.

Josie watched as Grams performed a locator spell (which was really cool) and then she drove with Stefan over to the motel where Elena and Bonnie were being held. He saved them and Josie hugged Elena fiercely, surprised by the amount of relief she felt when she held the older girl.

They got back to Gram's house where they discussed opening the tomb. Josie wished she could tell them that Katherine wasn't even in the damn tomb, but she wasn't ready to share her secret yet. She didn't think they'd believe her anyway. Damon certainly wouldn't.

"We need to let him have Katherine back," said Elena. "He's not going to stop until he gets her. If we help him, maybe that ends it."

"No!" said Bonnie. "He doesn't deserve to get what he wants."

"I'll open the tomb," Grams finally said. "You get your brother's girl and destroy the rest with fire. Then this will be all over."

Elena was right. Damon wouldn't stop until the tomb was open, not unless they staked him. But if the tomb opened, Grams would die. So that was the choice: Damon or Grams? And she hated it, but her silence said it all as the others planned to go ahead with opening the tomb.

Elena managed to convince Damon that were really going to help him this time and they all headed to the church.

Bonnie and Grams lit some torches, spread water, started chanting, etc. and the door was open. Josie had to admit real magic was a lot cooler in person than in the show.

Events progressed as they had in the show: Damon dragged Elena along as leverage so he wouldn't get shut into the tomb, Anna came and entered the tomb, and then Grams explained how the barrier was still up.

A minute later, Josie heard a scream from the ground above. She raced up, saw Ben on fire and Jeremy lying on the ground.

"Oh my god, what happened?" asked Josie, running over to Jeremy. "Is he okay?"

"He should be," replied Stefan, before vanishing back down the stairs to the tomb.

Josie stayed with Jeremy. To her relief, he was breathing and seemed okay. She got her vervain spray out just in case and used her scarf to try and staunch the bleeding on his head.

A few minutes later, everyone came back up the steps, including Damon, who looked distraught. Elena bent down to check on Jeremy and quietly whispered to Josie that Katherine wasn't in the tomb and that the seal was back up, keeping the rest of the vampires trapped inside. If only that were true, thought Josie. Still, they had some time, she was sure. Best to come back in daylight to deal with them.

Jeremy groaned.

"You okay?" Josie asked, brushing a hair away from his face.

Jeremy nodded. "My head hurts."

"Yeah, you might have a bump for a few days."

Jeremy was looking at something behind her and she followed his gaze to see Elena and Damon hugging. Josie smiled. She had always thought Elena was good for Damon. Or maybe it was the other way around?

Josie and Stefan helped Jeremy to the car. She couldn't look at Grams as they drove away. Maybe she couldn't have stopped it, even if she'd told the truth. She supposed she'd never know.

After they were home and Elena and Josie had talked to Jeremy (who remembered nothing), Josie went to the bathroom and got ready for bed. She took a long hot shower and tried not to think about Grams.

When she emerged from the bathroom in her robe, she nearly screamed. There, with a bottle of whiskey in his hand, sat Damon. She felt bad for him, but she hadn't forgotten their argument the day before. He'd threatened her. Wished Elena were dead. She really didn't want to see him right now.

"What's up, Damon?" she asked, tightly. "I thought you'd be halfway to Ibiza by now."

Damon just took a long pull from the bottle. No snappy retort. He must be really depressed.

"If you came here for pity, I suggest you go down the hall," she continued, uncomfortable with the silence. "Elena's last door on the right. But I suppose you already know that."

Josie blinked and all of a sudden Damon was standing right in front of her.

"I'm not here for pity," he whispered. He tried to kiss her, but she pushed him away.

"I'm not in the mood," she said, though her hands remained on his chest. His arms circled her waist and she felt excitement pool between her legs, even though she hated herself for it.

"You're always in the mood for me," he smirked, lowering his head again, this time to her neck.

"Seriously, Damon. Stop!" Josie said, trying to keep her breathing normal. She hated how easily she melted against him.

"Why?" he nearly pouted, running his hands up and down her back.

"You threatened to kill me yesterday, for starters. You were going to let my sister die."

After seeing how scared Elena had been in that motel room, she was even more angry at Damon for just letting her rot there.

"Elena was fine," Damon said, dismissively. "Anna wasn't going to hurt her. And I wouldn't have killed you. Not really."

Josie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious," he said, pulling back to look her in the eye. Seeing the look on his face, she almost believed him. "Now let's stop talking."

"Wait!" she said, sensing an opportunity. "If I… forgive you, are we even then?"

She almost felt a little bad. He was really vulnerable right now, having just been betrayed by Katherine. But the future favor she still owed him had been lingering on her mind more and more lately, since it seemed she was stuck in this world for the time being.

Damon shrugged. "Sure. Nothing matters anymore." And with that, he kissed her. And she let him. He didn't waste any time divesting them of their clothes and fucking her roughly. Afterwards, he rolled off of her and brought her close to him.

They laid there in silence for a while.

"She knew," he whispered finally. "She knew and she never came to me. Not once in 140 years."

Josie cringed. "Yeah, guess she's kind of a bitch." She figured insulting Katherine was better than telling Damon how sorry she was. He fell silent for a while before took her again.

In fact, he didn't leave that night. He took her at least half a dozen times before it was morning. He fed her blood to heal her, otherwise she would be raw.

When her alarm clock went off, she was dead tired, having barely gotten any sleep that night. She started to get up, but Damon stopped her.

"I have school, Damon."

"Skip it. Come back to the Boarding House with me. We can break out that vintage bottle of Jack I was telling you about."

Josie rolled her eyes. "I'm not skipping," she said, thinking about how much she'd skipped already. "You're gonna have to party without me."

Damon groaned.

Josie just shook her head. "This is not an exclusive thing, Damon. If you need to drown yourself in sorority girls and booze for a while, you should feel free. As long as you abide by our agreement: Catch, Compel, Release."

Josie went to take a shower and when she got back, Damon was gone. She breathed a sigh of relief.


	13. A Few Good Men & The Neighborhood

The day after the tomb had been opened, Josie stopped by Stefan's locker after school. She told him that they should check on the tomb vampires, just in case, and he agreed, but dashed off, saying that he needed to get home to Damon. Not wanting to see Damon, Josie just smiled and said they could go to the tomb tomorrow, thinking they had plenty of time (hadn't it taken a while on the show for all the vampires to come out?)

The next day, Stefan and Josie made their way to the tomb after school and both of them were shocked that the tomb was empty. Josie was angry at herself. Her only consolation was that they'd all be dead by Founder's Day, which was fast approaching.

Josie and Stefan told Elena that night, but none of them knew what to do about the missing vampires. Josie remembered they were hiding in some lady's house, but couldn't remember any details, so that wasn't helpful. They decided they'd just need to watch and wait.

Some sort of spell was out of the question as Bonnie had disappeared after Grams' funeral. Josie forced herself to attend, sending up a silent prayer of apology for what had happened. Bonnie's heartbroken eulogy haunted her for a long time.

Damon started coming to her again a few days before the bachelor auction at the Grill. That day, Elena found out that her birth mother was also Alaric's late wife.

During the auction, Damon made some awful, incendiary comments about Isobel and she could tell from Elena's reaction that she'd figured out Damon had killed her mother.

When Elena went to confront Damon about killing Isobel, Josie didn't interfere, just watched the exchange. To his credit, Damon looked guilty afterwards. Josie was tired of him being such an asshole.

"What is your problem?" asked Josie, walking up to him. "You're miserable, so you have to make everyone else miserable?"

"I didn't know Isobel was Elena's mother."

"You knew she was Alaric's wife. Why rub it in his face that you killed her?"

"Because I'm a dick."

Josie scoffed. "Did you know her?" she asked, wanting to hear the truth. "It kinda sounded like you did. Before you…"

"Not well," he admitted.

"But you remember her?"

Damon nodded. "It's kinda hard to forget someone begging you to kill them."

"You turned her?" Josie was getting really good at her "pretending to be shocked" face.

"Yep."

"So she's still alive. Sort of."

"Could be. I haven't seen her since."

"Why didn't you tell Elena? Or Alaric?"

Damon shrugged. "They didn't ask."

Josie rolled her eyes. "Do you want everyone to hate you?"

"You don't hate me."

"I'm tempted to."

"And yet," he said, smirking suggestively. "I'm going home. Wanna join me?" He got really close to her and ran a hand down her arm. She shivered, hating that he had that effect on her.

"I'm driving," she said, despite her better judgment. "I'll see you there."

She went back inside to say good-bye to her friends. She tried to find Elena, but it seemed like she'd already gone. Jenna too. Finally, she went back outside and drove to the Boarding House.

When she arrived, she walked in on a horrific scene. Alaric was lying on the ground with Damon looming over him.

"Guess she wasn't happy at home, wasn't happy with life in general, wasn't happy with you," Damon said. Alaric lunged at Damon with a stake and Damon twisted out of the way and stuck Alaric with it.

Josie screamed, "No!" She ran over to them. "What did you do? Oh my god."

"He attacked me, if you didn't notice," said Damon. "Oh, sounds like I got a lung," he said, sounding unconcerned.

"So heal him," said Josie.

"So he can try and kill me again?" asked Damon. "I don't think so."

"What about our agreement?"

"I'm not allowed to defend myself?"

Josie bit her lip. He had a point. "What if he promises to not try and kill you again? I won't consider it breaking our agreement if you kill him then."

She really didn't want Alaric to have to use the ring to come back. She wanted him to avoid relying on it as much as possible.

Beside them, Alaric was struggling to breathe. "Please, Damon. The man just found out his wife left him to become a vampire. Can't you relate?"

Damon just looked hard at her. "You fucking jerk, I'm calling Stefan." She picked up her phone and started dialing. "He'll heal him."

"Fine," Damon spat. He went to stand over Alaric. "If you try and kill me again, I'll not only kill you, I'll find Isobel, wherever she is and stake her. And then I'll find the rest of your family and kill them. All very, very slowly."

Alaric just looked at him.

"Mr. Saltzman, please!" begged Josie, cursing the male ego. Isobel had begged to be turned, how mad could Alaric be at Damon for giving her what she wanted?

"Fine," choked Alaric, defeated. Damon bit his wrist and fed Alaric his blood. Quickly, the color returned to his face and he sat up.

Josie smiled. "Do you need help getting home?"

"I'll find my way out. You're not…" Alaric trailed off, clearly not really wanting to leave her alone with Damon.

"I'm leaving soon," she lied. "I came here looking for Stefan, actually. Elena left a book here and I was in the neighborhood."

Alaric nodded and left.

She went up to Damon and smiled. "So what can I do to properly thank you?"

At that, Damon smirked and grabbed her roughly. Oh and Damon made her pay. In so many delicious ways. By the end of the night, she was so sore she could barely walk. Damon pointedly didn't offer his blood to heal her until she agreed to spend the rest of the night with him.

Josie was at the Grill a few days later with Bridget, Tracy and Colin, shooting pool. Tyler joined them after a while and, after her friends went home, she enjoyed some one-on-one time with him. They'd been hanging out a lot lately. She was attracted to him and felt like maybe they could be more than friends, but so far, nothing had happened between them.

After Tyler dropped her off, she ran into Jeremy in the kitchen.

"What happened to your hand, Jer?" asked Josie, grabbing a glass of water.

"Was just making a sandwich with Anna and it got cut," he said.

Josie paused. "You cut your hand in front of Anna?"

"It was an accident."

"How…" Josie hesitated. She didn't want to give anything away, but wanted to know if Jeremy knew. She decided on a different tactic. "Did Anna help bandage you up? Because it looks like a toddler put it on," she laughed.

"No, Anna didn't like the blood."

"Well let me help you put the bandage on properly," said Josie, grabbing the first aid kit.

"No, it's fine."

"It could get an infection if you're not careful. Let me do it."

"I'm fine," said Jeremy, more forcefully. And with that he left the kitchen.

Josie sighed. He knew. There must be a bite mark from Anna he's trying to cover up. She made her way up to his room and knocked.

"Give it up, Jo," called Jeremy.

"I'm not going to attack you with the first aid kit. Let me in."

Jeremy opened the door a few seconds later. She went in and closed the door.

"So you know," she said, sitting on his bed.

"Know what?"

"Know that Anna's a vampire. That vampires are real. Did you cut yourself on purpose?"

Jeremy looked shocked. "I wanted to be sure. How do you know?"

"Jonathan Gilbert's journals. I mean, at first I thought it was crazy, but I saw Stefan compelling someone the first day of school. The rest just fell into place."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Josie shrugged. "I didn't know if you'd believe me. Some things have happened. Dangerous things. I just wanted to protect you."

Jeremy still looked angry. So Josie told him everything. The Salvatores, tomb vampires, Katherine, etc. She left out the part about Anna's revenge and how Josie sent Vicky out of town, but told him pretty much everything else.

"So Elena knew all this time too?" asked Jeremy.

"Yes. We were both just trying to protect you."

Jeremy scoffed, clearly angry. She couldn't blame him, really. She hated when Elena was overprotective.

"Did you find out Damon was a vampire before or after you started sleeping with him?"

Josie's eyes were wide with genuine surprise. "What?" exclaimed Josie. "Oh god, does everyone know?"

Jeremy shrugged. "I don't know. No one has talked to me about it. Though I guess no one has talked to me about anything," he said, bitterly. "But we share a wall, Jo, so I know you've been sleeping with someone. I saw Damon sneaking in through your window a while ago."

Josie sighed. "I know it's stupid. I just… it's not complicated, which is nice."

"I don't need to know the details," said Jeremy, grimacing.

"And what about you and Anna? Does finding out she's a vampire change how you feel about her?" They had talked many times before about how Jeremy liked Anna.

Jeremy shook his head. "No. It almost makes me like her more. I like that she's different."

Josie smiled. She was tempted to ask more about Anna. To figure out where she and her mother were hiding the other tomb vampires, but decided against it. Using Jeremy's connection with Anna just didn't feel right.

"So if you're sleeping with Damon, does that mean all the rumors about you and Tyler aren't true?" asked Jeremy.

"You know we're not going out," said Josie, frowning. They'd talked about her and Tyler just being friends before. "I wouldn't keep secrets about that," she said, shaking her head. "But…"

Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "But what?"

"I wouldn't say no if he asked me out. I know we went out before and it didn't work, but, I don't know. I think I might like him." She paused. "Is that weird? I know you two don't get along very well."

"I like a vampire," said Jeremy, smiling and shaking his head. "I'm not gonna judge."

"Thanks."

"Hey, do me a favor and don't let Elena know we had this talk?" asked Jeremy.

Josie was confused. "Why?"

"I just need time to process."

Josie shrugged, but agreed. She wondered if Jeremy was worried about the Salvatore brothers causing trouble for Anna. Either way, she respected him enough to honor his wishes. At least for now.

Josie smiled back and pulled him in for a hug. She was glad there weren't any more secrets between them. Or at least none that she wasn't keeping from everyone else. She knew they weren't actually twins, but they'd become close over the past few months. She'd hated lying to him.

They talked for a little while longer before they each went to bed.

When Damon came to her that night, he told her about his confrontation with Pearl and Anna. As well as Frederick and Bethanne. Pearl and Anna had caught him coming out the house, since they couldn't enter without Zach's invitation. Frederick and Bethanne had done the same with Stefan as he was seeing Elena off.

Damon clearly didn't trust any of the vampires and was surprised when Josie expressed support for them over the Council. At least Pearl and Anna. She did think Frederick and Bethanne's unprovoked attack was uncalled for.

"You'd choose a couple of vampires over the Council?" he asked.

"Not all vampires are bad, Damon. If they want to live in peace, we should let them. The Council let their prejudices get the best of them back in 1864. Plus… Jeremy likes Anna. Elena loves Stefan. The Gilberts are just a bunch of vampire-lovers in this century."

Damon smirked. "And you?"

"Guess I'm the odd one out," she teased. He just smirked again and rolled on top of her. She moaned when his lips trailed down her neck and they didn't speak for a while after that.


	14. Let the Right One In & Under Control

The next day, Josie and Elena were having lunch when Damon came over and told them Stefan was missing. Josie had forgotten all about Stefan's capture at the hands of the tomb vampires!

Josie insisted on accompanying Damon and Elena to the vampire house. She knew Stefan was there of course, but she also remembered that the lady who owned the place would never let Damon in. She didn't have any idea of how to get him out though. After Damon came back and explained the lady had been compelled to never let him in, they were all at a loss with what to do.

Josie knew that Alaric was meant to go with Damon. Why had they chosen Alaric though? His ring… The ring that Josie had prevented from activating so no one knew of its power. Damn it. What were they going to do now?

"What about Pearl?" asked Josie, trying to think quickly. "From what you said, I don't think she would have authorized his kidnapping. I bet they're doing it behind her back."

She was surprised no one thought of this in the show. Make Pearl smack down those other vampires.

"And how do we find Pearl?" asked Damon.

Josie pulled out her phone. "I bet her daughter knows."

Within an hour they had gathered Pearl and Anna with them at the school. "Why are we here?" asked Pearl. "I can deal with them myself."

"They've gone rogue," said Damon as they walked down the hallway to Alaric's classroom. Josie had convinced them to talk to Alaric about getting some anti-vampire weaponry. "They may not listen to you anymore. One of the teachers here has some… equipment that should help us."

They managed to convince Alaric to use some of his anti-vampire stuff, for Stefan and they made their way to the farm house. When Damon, Pearl and Anna left Elena and Josie in the car with strict instructions to wait, Josie knew Elena would never listen.

"I have to help him, Jo," said Elena, getting out of the car.

"Then I'm coming with you," said Josie, following her. "No arguments."

Elena nodded, clearly not willing to argue. They crept around the back of the house and ran down the stairs to the cellar.

Josie was terrified. She thought her heart was going to pound out of her chest. What the hell was she thinking? Going into a vampire-infested house with just her vervain spray to protect her?

Glancing over at Elena, silently walking beside her, she knew why. Because as much as she'd fought against it, tried to stop it, she'd started to care. And it wasn't just Elena. Jeremy, Jenna, her friends, even the damn Salvatore brothers. She cared about all of them and didn't want to see them hurt. Elena was frantic that Stefan was being tortured in this house. And Josie would do whatever it took to help. Just like she would with her own siblings back home.

Sighing, Josie gripped her spray tighter and tried to focus on the task at hand. Elena broke through the window of the door to the basement and unlocked it. Thankfully, the guard was listening to music and didn't hear the broken glass. The guard must have noticed Elena peeking around the corner though, because he started walking towards them. Josie tried not to breathe too heavily and got her spray ready.

They heard the guard drop to the floor and saw Anna standing over him, vervain needle in hand.

"I thought you guys were supposed to be in the car?" asked Anna, confused.

"I have to help Stefan," Elena replied, heading into the basement room where Stefan was being kept. Poor Stefan, who was hanging there by vervain ropes. He looked awful.

"Did your mom take care of the rest?" asked Josie, nearly gagging at all the blood as Anna pulled the knives out of Harper's thighs.

"Sort of," said Anna. Her words were punctuated by a crash upstairs. "You guys get him out of here. I've got to go help my mom." And with that, she vanished.

Josie and Elena were getting Stefan to the car when they were attacked by Frederick who had snuck away from the house to get his revenge for Bethanne's death. Josie and Elena managed to stake him together, but not before he'd stuck Stefan in the gut.

Josie could only watch helplessly as Elena offered Stefan her blood, just like in the show. She hadn't been able to stop it; she hadn't remembered. She felt awful.

When Frederick attacked again and Stefan killed him for good, Josie saw the fear in Elena's eyes as Stefan's viciousness. If only she knew… The only comforting thought Josie had was that this wasn't the worst of Stefan's brushes with drinking human blood, at least not in the show. She only hoped it passed soon. The tiny glimpse she'd gotten of Ripper Stefan was enough for a lifetime.

When Damon came to her that night, she wondered how much longer they should keep this up. Even though he left her satisfied as always, her feelings had started to change. She was surprised how well she'd handled today's events. How… normal it felt. Maybe not normal exactly, but a lot less foreign than it had before. Making plans, sneaking into the farmhouse, rescuing Stefan.

Maybe she didn't need this escape anymore. Maybe she'd grieved enough for her old life and had accepted that this was her new reality- at least for now.

As Damon vanished through her window, she wondered at this house, this town, these people… she almost felt at home.

A few days later, Uncle John came to Mystic Falls. Josie followed Elena and Jeremy's lead and acted friendly, but distant. Josie remembered that Uncle John's heart was in the right place, even though he was working with Isobel. Plus he had sacrificed his life for Elena's in the end, so Josie definitely couldn't hate him.

Elena came to Josie that same day, asking about Jeremy. Elena showed her the report Jeremy wrote about vampires. Josie sighed and pulled Elena into Jeremy's room. She couldn't take all the "does Jeremy know" drama bullshit. They had it out right there, that night, including Elena's adoption.

Without the vampire Vicky incident and Jeremy's memory wipe, it went a lot better than it did on the show. At the end, all three siblings hugged and promised no more secrets. Jeremy thankfully didn't tell Elena about Josie and Damon. That one she was planning on taking to her grave.

Jeremy and Anna were hanging out more and more. Without Vicky's influence, he wasn't begging Anna to turn him into a vampire. Jeremy just liked Anna and they soon started dating.

Then, the day of the Founder's Kick-Off party came. Bridget and Tracy picked Josie up and they headed to the party. They both had dates, so Josie found herself hanging out with Matt and Tyler at first, drinking whiskey out of a bottle.

Stefan was acting a little weird due to his bloodlust, but since both Elena and Damon swore he was fine, Josie couldn't really do anything. She remembered he hadn't actually killed anyone (this time) and when he compelled the DJ to put on some decent music, she decided to just let it go.

Josie was dancing with her friends when she saw Tyler go off with Matt's mom, Kelly. She was surprised by the subtle feeling of jealousy that rose up. She followed them, determined to prevent their disastrous hook-up.

"Hey Tyler," Josie said, putting an arm around him. "I was wondering where you went off to. Hi Mrs. Donovan."

"Hey Josie," Tyler said. "You okay?"

"I'm good. I'd be better if you were dancing with me."

"How much of that whiskey did you have?" asked Tyler, laughing. He'd had a fair amount to drink too.

"Enough," said Josie, biting her lip and smiling. Just like every time they'd hung out lately, she wondered if he had any more-than-friends feelings for her. "Please?" she asked. "One dance."

Tyler threw an apologetic look at Kelly and followed Josie to the dance floor. They danced for a while before she decided she needed another drink.

"Just a small one," said Tyler, leading her back to one of the rooms. She sat down on the small sofa that was there.

He pulled out the bottle of whiskey and took a swig before handing it to her.

"We should probably get back to the party," said Tyler, though he sat down beside her.

"Why? It's nice here," she said, leaning on him. "Quiet."

Tyler smiled and wrapped an arm around her. "Quiet can be good."

"Yeah?" she breathed, turning around so she was facing him. Because she'd been leaning on him, their faces were fairly close.

"Hmmm," he said, before lowering his lips to hers. They were still kissing intensely when Matt walked in.

"Ty, where's the…" Matt trailed off when he saw Tyler and Josie. "Sorry, dude," he said and bolted.

Josie groaned. "We really should get back to the party."

"Hmm… Why?"

"We've been gone for a while. Isn't your dad supposed to give some speech?"

Tyler sighed, but got off the sofa. They headed back to the party and listened to the Mayor's speech. Afterwards, he asked if she wanted to go for a walk.

'A walk' turned into more kissing in his car, which was only interrupted by Josie's phone incessantly buzzing. It was Tracy, wondering where Josie was and if she still needed a ride home.

"I'll catch a ride with Elena or Jenna," Josie said. "I'll see you tomorrow…. Okay, bye." And she hung up. Josie sighed. "I should probably go. It's late."

"It's not that late," said Tyler, leaning in for another kiss.

"I'm serious," giggled Josie, still a little tipsy. "Besides the party is letting out and this is your dad's car." The words seemed to sober Tyler a little.

"What are you doing tomorrow night?" he asked.

Josie smiled. "Nothing."

"Want to go to Benito's with me?" Benito's was an Italian restaurant a few towns over. It was nice, expensive, and romantic. Not a place you took a friend.

Josie smiled even bigger, but couldn't resist teasing him a bit. "Benito's? I'd love to, but you should be careful Tyler, people are gonna start to think you're a 'we person'."

Tyler shook his head and smiled. "All I heard was 'yes', Gilbert," he said, kissing her again.

They soon returned to the party. Josie found Jenna and got a ride home with her.

As she sat in back seat, behind Jeremy, she thought about Tyler. Maybe Tyler was the right combination of caring and dangerous? He was a potential werewolf, after all. He was hot and kissing him was just as hot as kissing Damon.

Josie sighed. Oh Damon…. She knew she had to end it. Not just because of Tyler, though that was certainly part of it. There was also Damon and Elena. And then there was Josie herself.

Damon had been her escape, her release valve from the pressures of being Josie Gilbert and her grief of her old life. But she was healing.

She wasn't acting anymore, she realized. She was Josie Gilbert. There was a certain… peace in acceptance. Clarity.

And she knew that what she and Damon had wasn't what she wanted. Not really. Maybe it was Tyler and maybe it wasn't. Either way, it was time to stop.

When Damon came to her that night, she stopped him before he kissed her.

"Damon, we have to stop this," she said.

"Why? You and Tyler make it official?"

"No… We're going out tomorrow, but he's not my boyfriend."

"So what's the problem?"

She couldn't really explain her need for escape, so she tried a different tactic.

"I know how you feel about Elena. I see the way you look at her, Damon. And you and I… this is all we'll ever have. And that's okay. But, it's not enough. For either of us."

Damon frowned. "Elena and I aren't even friends. She hates me."

"No, she doesn't," said Josie, shaking her head. "You know, maybe if you stop being a jerk all the time, you might have a shot."

"She's my brother's girl."

"For now…. She's 17, Damon. There's plenty of time. And you're not getting any older," she smiled. "You know I'm right. About us too."

"Up to you," was all he said.

Josie just rolled her eyes. "How about a good-bye kiss?"

Damon smiled. "Oh, I'll give you more than that."

He pulled her close and kissed her fiercely. He removed her clothing, taking his time to kiss up and down the length of her body, making her cum twice with his hands and mouth. Then he finally stripped off himself and slid into her, making her forget one last time.

Afterwards, they laid in bed. Josie couldn't believe she was going to give this up. But it was important that they stopped. It wasn't enough for her, not anymore.

Eventually, he told her about Uncle John coming back from the dead at the party. How he had revealed the power of the rings to Damon and Alaric. Apparently it had been quite a shock to Alaric, who hadn't had a chance to experience the ring's power firsthand since Josie had saved him from Damon.

Josie was not happy that Damon had tried to kill Uncle John, but she reasoned Uncle John was a dick and had threatened to reveal everything about Stefan and Damon to the Council. Plus, she was still a little drunk. She decided to let it go. She didn't want to ruin their last time together.

"We'll still be friends, right?" she asked, watching him get dressed.

"Of course," he said, putting on his shoes. "You're still in the gang," he smirked. And then he was gone from her window. She bit her lip as she watched him go, hoping she'd made the right choice.

 **A/N: So ends the Damon affair :-( He definitely helped Josie though and of course he'll continue to be a big part of the story, and her journey (their friendship won't be without its ups and downs).**

 **For Josie, unfortunately, some of the most interesting characters aren't available yet coughOriginalscough (Klaus is probably my favorite character in the series). Plus her relationship with Tyler will be important to the plot as she moves into Season 2.**


	15. Miss Mystic Falls - Founder's Day

The day after the Founder's Kick-off party, Josie went to see Anna and Pearl. Josie knew Stefan might be back on human blood, but she decided not to worry about it for now. Damon said he'd handle Stefan (with Uncle John back, Damon was determined to keep a low profile).

So, Josie decided to focus on saving Pearl. She remembered that Uncle John had been the one to kill Pearl, so now that he was in town, Josie had to warn her.

Josie drove over to the farmhouse, hoping Anna and her mother were still there.

Thankfully, Anna answered the doorbell. "Josie?"

"Is your mother home?"

"Yes," she said, looking confused. "You're here to see my mother?"

"And you," Josie smiled.

Anna smiled. "Come in."

Anna led Josie to the living room where Pearl was. "It's quiet here," remarked Josie.

"All the other vampires left town," Anna said.

"After what happened with Stefan, I kicked them out," said Pearl. "Except Harper."

Josie nodded. "I'm here to warn you. I don't know if you know, but my uncle John Gilbert is in town."

"I noticed," said Pearl, her face tightening.

"Well he's not all that different than the original jerk that stuck you in a tomb for 145 years," said Josie, not able to keep the anger from creeping into her voice. "Not all Gilberts hate vampires. My sister is in love with one. I'm friends with them. But my uncle… I overheard him talking on the phone. He… wants to kill you." Josie figured that was as good a lie as any.

"I don't know why he wants to kill you," Josie continued. "Maybe it's because of what happened back in 1864 with his namesake. Please don't kill him. He's not a great guy, but he's family. Unfortunately. Maybe you could compel him to forget about you? Not kill you or Anna?"

"He's on vervain, I'm sure," said Pearl. She looked furious. Josie couldn't blame her. Pearl hadn't done anything to either John Gilbert and they both were determined to see her dead.

"Vervain doesn't last forever, right?" Josie asked. "Maybe you could keep him here for a few days and then compel him? I know the original Jonathan Gilbert betrayed you in the worst way. And on behalf of my ancestor, I'm so sorry."

"Why should we show mercy to those who won't show it to us?" asked Anna, angrily. She wasn't wrong. Still, Josie was trying to save lives, not trade them.

"I didn't have to warn you. My uncle is a skilled vampire hunter. He'll succeed if he's determined. I'm warning you because I think you're better than him."

Josie could barely breathe, she was so tense. She was betting on Pearl's character. Josie remembered that Pearl had wanted to live in peace, hadn't sought revenge. She hoped her gamble paid off.

Finally, Pearl's face broke into a small smile. "I never thought I'd hear a Gilbert say I was better than a human."

Josie let out a relieved sigh and shrugged. "It's true," she said, honestly. "You could have slaughtered all of us the second you got out of that tomb for what Jonathan did to you. But you didn't. That makes you a million times better than either John Gilbert."

At that Pearl actually smiled. "Alright, I won't kill John Gilbert. I'll keep him here and compel him when the vervain's out of his system."

"Thank you so much," said Josie, getting up.

And while Uncle John disappeared for a few days after that, when he returned, the day of the Miss Mystic Falls pageant, Josie was sure it was without any murderous intentions towards Pearl or Anna.

That night, Josie had a great time with Tyler on their date. She was surprised how easy the transition from friend to something more was. After their meal, they took a walk. They held hands and talked about school, pop culture, sports, etc. until he drove her home. Wanting to take it slow, she didn't invite him in, but decided to embrace the high school cliché of making out in the car outside her house.

When he asked her to go with him to the Miss Mystic Falls pageant (his mother insisted he attend), she happily accepted.

Though Bonnie came back to school a few days before the pageant, Elena asked Josie to help her with her dress, hair and make-up, since Bonnie was avoiding her. Clearly, Bonnie thought Grams' death was the Salvatores' fault. Josie couldn't blame Bonnie, but felt bad for Elena. She tried not to think about her own role in the whole affair.

The day of the pageant arrived and Josie was helping Elena get ready when Damon came into the dressing room. He told them Stefan was back on human blood and wasn't controlling himself very well.

When Stefan interrupted them, Damon grabbed Josie and they made a swift exit. Not satisfied, Josie pulled him into an empty room, determined to get answers.

"How bad is he?" asked Josie as soon as she'd shut the door.

"What do you mean?" asked Damon.

"I mean, how bad is he?" she repeated. "Like is he just on edge or is he full-blown ripper?"

In the show, Josie remembered this time Stefan hadn't been so bad, but she knew she couldn't count on that being true anymore. And Ripper Stefan terrified her.

"How do you know about that?" Damon asked, looking shocked.

"I've been talking to Lexi," she admitted. "She didn't tell me everything, but she did tell me that Stefan has major control issues with human blood. She mentioned he'd been in Monterey in 1912. Google told me the rest." She had been corresponding with Lexi ever since the blonde vampire had been in Mystic Falls.

"He's not that bad," said Damon.

Josie let out a sigh of relief.

"At least not yet," he amended. "We need to either get him off human blood or get him to control his intake."

Josie nodded. "First we need to get through today. He hasn't attacked anyone, right?"

Damon shook his head. "Just blood bags so far."

"Good. You'll keep an eye on him in the meantime?" asked Josie.

Damon smirked. "I'll make sure he keeps his fangs to himself."

They went downstairs, where Damon got drinks for both of them and Josie went to find Tyler. She didn't realize anything was wrong until Elena was introduced and Stefan was nowhere to be found. When the last girl on the court, Amber, was also MIA, Josie realized what had happened. Crap, she had forgotten about that.

As if to underscore her poor memory, at that moment she was hit with a vision. Stefan was feeding off Amber in the woods outside. He was clearly trying to control himself and failing miserably. He kept feeding and feeding. He fed on her until she stopped breathing and her body dropped to the ground. He pulled back, mouth full of blood, and ran, leaving Amber dead on the ground. Josie was shocked. She was pretty sure the girl had lived in the show.

Josie came back to reality and felt that Tyler had a grip on her arm.

"Are you alright?" he whispered, as the announcer called for Amber once again. Josie paused to realize how odd that was. Maybe a second or two had passed, but her vision had been at least a three minute scene. Clearly, these visions, though they seemed like scenes from the show, were more like dreams.

"I'm fine," she whispered back. "Just… a headache."

She told Tyler she was going to the restroom and went to find Alaric. She pulled him aside and explained the situation, but didn't miss the intense dance that Damon and Elena were sharing. She knew then that ending things with Damon had been the right decision.

After the dance ended, Josie and Alaric grabbed Damon and told him about Stefan and the missing girl. Damon thought they should search the house first and wouldn't listen to Josie about going outside. Unfortunately, the house was large and Josie didn't feel comfortable waiting that long, given what she had seen in her vision.

So, Josie decided to look outside for Stefan and Amber, figuring she could text Damon when she 'found' them. She walked into the parking lot and spotted Stefan and the girl standing beside his car. She pulled out her phone and texted Damon.

Remembering her vision, Josie made the decision to approach them, figuring Stefan probably wouldn't hurt her, as she was Elena's sister.

"Hey, Stefan," she called, walking up to him and Amber. "What are you doing out here?" she asked, trying to sound casual. Looking at Amber's neck, Josie winced when she saw the blood dripping down. Damon would come soon. She just had to keep Stefan from attacking until he arrived.

"We're standing in the parking lot," said Amber, in that monotone voice Josie had come to associate with compulsion.

"I can see that," said Josie, standing beside Amber.

"You shouldn't be here, Josie," said Stefan, though he moved in front of her and Amber, blocking the way back to the party.

"I just needed some air," Josie said, ignoring him, desperately trying to think of things to say. "It's such a nice day. It's too bad you missed the ceremony, there was this really funny moment when…"

Josie was cut off by Stefan's strong hands gripping her shoulders. She felt a ghost of movement around her wrist and realized he'd removed her watch. Oh god, the watch that held the only vervain she had on her person.

He looked her in the eye and compelled her, "You came out here and didn't see anybody. Go back to the party and don't come out until it's over."

Josie blinked and just looked at him. She didn't feel any different. She felt no desire to go back to the party. She definitely remembered everything that had transpired in the parking lot.

Stefan tilted his head in confusion and asked, "Do you understand?"

Still, she felt nothing. Could she not be compelled? She didn't get another second to think about it because Stefan was ripped away from her and thrown across the parking lot by Damon. Looking past him, Josie saw Elena and Alaric.

"Stefan!" called Elena, as Stefan tried to attack Damon.

Elena managed to distract Stefan long enough for Damon to stab Stefan with a tree branch. Stefan groaned and Alaric was able to get close enough to bring Stefan down with a vervain syringe.

Alaric went to check on Amber while Damon, Josie and Elena talked about what to do with Stefan.

"We can't just let him roam around," said Josie, shaking her head.

Elena nodded. "It's not safe. He's not himself."

"There's always the basement," said Damon.

"Until he's better," said Elena, nodding. "Maybe we should call Lexi. Hasn't she helped Stefan with this before?"

"No!" exclaimed Josie, perhaps a bit too forcefully as she remembered her vision of Lexi burning on Founder's Day. "Lexi's all the way in Europe. Let's give it a few days and see if he can't work this out on his own. He's not going anywhere."

She just hoped Stefan got over it as quickly as he did in the show. She remembered he'd been back to his old self by Founder's Day, which was only two weeks away.

So, Damon healed and compelled Amber and then he and Alaric took Stefan back to the Boarding House. Elena and Josie took Amber back to the party to get her cleaned up and into her dress for the announcement of the pageant winner.

As they walked back to the party, Josie thought about earlier. Why couldn't she be compelled? Had she somehow imbibed vervain? She didn't wear perfume and was pretty sure all her toiletries were store-bought without additives. It was probably the same reason the witches' spells didn't work on her. Of course what that reason was, she had no clue.

After they'd helped Amber, Josie went to find Tyler. She excused her prolonged absence by complaining about how long the line was for the ladies room and they stood together while Caroline was crowned Miss Mystic Falls.

The party was nearly over and Josie found Jeremy with Anna.

"You need a ride, Jer?" asked Josie. "Jenna and I are leaving."

"I think I'm gonna stay for a bit longer," he said, eyeing Anna.

Josie shook her head. "What have you done to my brother?" she asked Anna. "He hates these things."

Anna smiled. "It's all about the company, right?"

Josie nodded.

"Hey, did Damon tell you that your uncle's looking for some device that Jonathan Gilbert invented?" Anna asked.

Josie shook her head. "What device?" Though she knew it must be the vampire-disabling one.

"I don't know," replied Anna. "Apparently your uncle told Damon about a vampire that stole something from Jonathan Gilbert back in 1864. A vampire he was friendly with."

"He doesn't know it was your mother right?" asked Josie.

"She took away all his memories of her," confirmed Anna. "Your uncle has no idea the vampire is her."

"Good," said Josie.

"Whatever it is, I don't think we want Uncle John to get it," said Jeremy.

Anna smiled. "That's what Damon said. I'm going to talk to my mom tonight and see if she has it."

Later that night, Anna texted Josie and Jeremy, letting them know that Pearl had given the device to Damon. Still, Josie knew that with the tomb vampires still out there, it was important that Uncle John get it. If they attacked during Founder's Day, like on the show, it would be needed to protect the town. How had Uncle John gotten it from Damon though? The answer came a week later, when Isobel showed up.

In the days after the pageant, Elena was gone most of the time, helping Stefan with his human blood detox in the Boarding House basement. Thankfully, Stefan recovered fairly quickly so nobody brought up Lexi's name again.

Anna had started attending school with them and, thanks to Josie's warning and Pearl's compulsion, Uncle John was still bothering Damon about the vampire device and had no recollection of Pearl's involvement.

It was a few days after the pageant, and Tyler and Josie were on their third official date.

"Josie, uh, there was something I wanted to talk to you about," Tyler said. He looked nervous.

"What is it?" she asked, confused.

"This past week has been fun. I thought it might be weird, since we dated before, but this time feels different."

"Yeah," she said, smiling, even though she had no recollection of their previous time dating. "I've had fun too."

And she had. She really liked Tyler. He was easy to be with and they had a lot in common. He was definitely more exciting than Derek had been. Not as dangerous as Damon, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Though she did miss Damon sometimes.

"I know I make fun of all the 'we' people out there, but maybe being a 'we' person wouldn't be so bad if you were one with me?"

Josie almost laughed. That was the weirdest way she'd ever been asked to be in a relationship. Still, she knew how difficult it must be for Tyler. "Are you… asking me to be your girlfriend?"

"Well, yeah," he said, still nervous. "Do you not?"

"I do," she said, quickly.

She was surprised to realize it was true. She knew she was going to be in this world for a while and she liked Tyler. She was starting to feel whole again. Ready for something… real. She figured she should at least try and be happy while she was stuck here.

They finished their meal and Tyler drove her home. She thought about inviting him in, but decided to take it slow, for now. They'd only just started going out. All part of the plan for something… real.

The next day, Josie was sitting with Tyler when Alaric announced that Tyler was going to lead the historical float project. Josie was happy for him. Even though he acted like it was no big deal, she could tell he was proud he'd been chosen.

It wasn't all good news though. Elena pulled Josie aside after lunch and told her that Isobel had come to Alaric and wanted a meeting with Elena. Josie agreed it was best to figure out what Isobel wanted, but insisted she be there for support. So, Josie played pool with Stefan while Elena spoke with Isobel. She wasn't able to catch the entire conversation, but she knew what Isobel wanted without Stefan's whispers: the Gilbert device.

Elena was visibly shaken and near to tears after Isobel left and Josie ran to give her a hug. When Josie had watched the show, she had found Elena's drama annoying at times, but seeing it for herself in person, all she felt was pity for the girl.

Josie was glad when Bonnie showed up to the Gilbert House the next day. She said she'd come to make amends with Elena, so Jeremy and Josie left the two of them and headed to the school parking lot to help with the floats.

They met up with Anna and started helping Tyler and Matt with the historical float. Josie was just coming back from the bathroom, when she heard shouting. Matt was pinned underneath the float and while everyone was looking in his direction, Josie felt someone grab her from behind and put a hand over her mouth.

She struggled, but was dragged and roughly shoved into a car. She screamed once the hand was removed, but was told to be quiet or the man who'd taken her would gag her. As soon as she was thinking clearly, she realized that she had been taken hostage by Isobel instead of Jeremy. Probably because Jeremy was with Anna. Must be nice to have a vampire bodyguard, she thought dejectedly.

Even though she felt she was on the verge of a panic attack, she forced herself to remain calm. Jeremy had survived this, so Josie could too. She tried to focus on her breathing and not on the fact that she was now a hostage to a murderous vampire who had her humanity switched off. She had snuck into the farmhouse full of tomb vampires. She had faced Damon Salvatore alone. She could survive this.

Josie was brought to a house and shoved into a chair. Isobel entered the room with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Josie Gilbert," said Isobel. "Elena will be so worried."

Josie just looked stonily at her.

"I won't hurt you," she said. "As long as I get what I want."

Josie scoffed, but remained silent. What the hell was she supposed to say?

"Believe it or not, I do care for Elena," said Isobel.

Josie was skeptical. She was pretty sure that Isobel was trying to protect Elena from the Salvatore brothers, in addition to helping Katherine, but couldn't remember Isobel's exact motivations.

"You have a funny way of showing it," said Josie, finally unable to keep silent.

"If I didn't, you'd already be dead," snapped Isobel, suddenly in Josie's face. "Elena has no shortage of people she cares about." Yeah, maybe taunting the murderous vampire wasn't a great idea.

"I don't think Damon is going to give you the device," said Josie, trying to bring the conversation back to neutral territory. "He doesn't care if I live or die."

She knew that wasn't exactly true, but she didn't think Damon would give up an anti-vampire weapon for anyone. Except maybe Elena. And Stefan. Definitely not her.

"But Elena does. And Damon cares about Elena. Plus, I doubt he wants his little plaything dead." Isobel's words hit the mark. How did she know? Katherine? Oh, god.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Josie, trying to sound casual.

"You know what I mean," said Isobel, smirking. "I enjoyed him too. But sleeping with a man's that's in love with your sister? Even I've never done that." She almost looked impressed.

"I'm not sleeping with Damon. Not anymore."

"Pity. He was one of the best I've ever had. And I've had plenty."

"I know. Damon, Alaric… Uncle John." She said John's name with a measure of disgust. "I can't believe he's working with you and Katherine."

"He tries to be a good man."

"Yeah, the road to hell and all that," said Josie, shaking her head. "He would have killed Pearl and Anna just to get that device."

"So, you're the one who had him compelled to forget about Pearl and Anna?" asked Isobel, raising an eyebrow. "To never hurt them. To never think of them again."

"Anna is my friend and Pearl just wants to live in peace. Not all vampires are evil."

"I may have underestimated you," said Isobel, tilting her head as if seeing her for the first time. Then she suddenly got up. "You have a visitor."

She reappeared with Uncle John a few minutes later.

"What are you doing?" Uncle John asked, when he saw Josie sitting there.

"Getting what I want," answered Isobel

"Yeah, well she is my niece. And you're gonna let her go right this second."

"That gaudy ring on your finger… It comes off," said Isobel.

"Come on, Isobel" said John. "I know you. You can't hurt a kid."

Josie tried not to be annoyed. She hated being called a kid.

"I'll kill her to prove you wrong," smiled Isobel.

"Her humanity's off," said Josie. "She would totally kill me. Please don't provoke her."

Had Uncle John ever met a vampire? The man was such a hypocrite.

"I would listen to your niece," said Isobel. "She's smarter than she seems. Smarter than you."

In spite of the situation, Josie was mildly flattered, and insulted at the same time. Did she not seem smart?

"Look I know you've changed," said John. "Ok? But the old Isobel is in there somewhere still. Isn't she? Come on, let her go."

Isobel looked like she was agreeing, but then John got beat up and his ring was taken away. He passed out and Isobel left, leaving Josie alone with no one except unconscious John for company.

Finally, after what felt like forever (Uncle John was not a great company, even when awake), they were allowed to leave and Uncle John took Josie home. They fed Jenna a story about Uncle John hitting his head and Josie grabbed something to eat from the kitchen- damn Isobel hadn't fed her all day. Then Elena called to make sure Josie was home safe.

Later, Elena told her about her bargain with Isobel, Bonnie's supposed de-spelling of the device and that Uncle John would have the device soon.

"Guess I'm lucky Damon was feeling generous," said Josie, shaking her head.

"I would have gotten the device no matter what, Jo," said Elena, pulling Josie into a hug. "You're the only sister I have. Plus who else is gonna get me into my dress for the Founder's Day parade?"

Josie smiled too, but it didn't reach her eyes. Oh, Founder's Day…

The week before the big day was quiet. Eerily so. And all the while, Josie was torn about what, if anything, she should do. She was seriously considering just staying out of it mostly. With the exception of Anna, all the 'good' vampires had survived.

And, honestly, if the tomb vampires were planning an attack on the Founding Families, then it was best they died. She hated feeling that way, but when she looked around her, at the people she'd come to care about in her fake, but real life, she understood Grams' sentiment: she would protect her own.

She decided to just try and get Anna, Stefan and Damon to leave before the device was activated. She knew Pearl wouldn't be caught dead at the celebration.

Josie watched the parade with her friends, cheering Elena and Stefan on, as well as Tyler and Jeremy. He really did a great job with the float. She was proud of him.

After the parade, she spent most of the day with Tyler. She couldn't remember exactly when the attack happened (except it was dark), but when the Mayor approached Tyler and told him to leave before the fireworks started, she realized they were going to turn on the device then. There was time. It was five and the fireworks started at eight. She had to make sure Stefan, Anna and Damon were out by eight.

Tyler nodded at his dad's warning, but ignored him and dragged Josie to the Grill, where they played pool with Matt and Caroline for a while. Thankfully, Jeremy and Anna were there as well, talking in a corner booth, so Josie could keep an eye on them. It was quarter to eight and Josie was just about to go find the Salvatore brothers when the mayor approached Tyler again, and more forcefully this time, told Tyler to leave immediately and take Matt, Caroline and Josie with him. Tyler agreed and took Josie's hand.

"I'm not leaving without Jeremy and Elena," said Josie, firmly. Or Stefan, Anna and Damon she mentally added. Tyler looked annoyed, but let her go.

She went over to Anna and Jeremy.

"Something's happening," said Josie, sliding into the booth beside Jeremy. "The Mayor just came over to us and insisted we leave now, before the fireworks."

Anna nodded. "I was just telling Jeremy that I saw two of the tomb vampires out in the square." She pointed out the window. "There goes another one."

"You think they're planning an attack?" asked Jeremy.

"If they are, the Council must have found a way to deal with it," said Josie. "Otherwise, the Mayor wouldn't send only his own kid away. They would be getting everyone out."

"The device," Anna whispered. "They're going to try and use it against the vampires."

"Not try," said Josie, biting her lip. "Look, I didn't know if I should say anything, but I overheard Bonnie talking to Caroline. She didn't de-spell the device. It's working."

Anna and Jeremy looked shocked. "We have to get you out of here," said Jeremy, grabbing Anna's hand.

"Damon and Stefan too," said Josie, checking her phone. "The fireworks start soon."

At that moment, Tyler approached the table. "Let's go, Josie."

"I can't," said Josie, shaking her head. "I need to find Elena." That seemed a good pretense to find the Salvatore brothers.

"We'll find her," said Jeremy, standing up.

"Yeah, we've got it," said Anna, following him. "Don't worry, we'll take care of it. You go with Tyler, Josie."

Josie hesitated, but then decided to let Anna and Jeremy handle it. She trusted them. But she did want Tyler to get out of there, in case some of the tomb vampires decided to seek out the Mayor's son personally.

"Fine," said Josie. "Let me know when you find them… her?"

Anna and Jeremy nodded and exited the Grill. Tyler took Josie's hand and led her out the back of the Grill, to the alley. As she climbed into the Mayor's car with Tyler, Matt and Caroline, she felt uneasy. As if she was missing something important. She trusted Anna and Jeremy to warn the Salvatores, so it wasn't that.

It wasn't until they'd been driving for a few minutes and Tyler asked, "What the hell is that?" that Josie realized what she'd forgotten: the device affected potential werewolves too. Oh, shit. How the hell could she have forgotten that?

"Are you okay?" asked Josie, putting a hand on Tyler's arm.

"That noise," he said, frowning.

"Wait, what noise?" asked Matt from the back seat.

"Tyler, maybe you should pull over," said Josie, remembering that he had crashed the car in the show. She felt like an idiot.

Before anybody could say anything else, Tyler was shouting and had covered his ears with his hands, leaving nobody driving the car, which served dangerously along the road. All the supernatural beings in this world and she was going to die in a damn car crash!

"Josie, the wheel!" shouted Matt.

Josie grabbed the wheel and tried to stabilize the car, as Tyler continued to cover his ears in pain. Matt was still shouting something, Caroline and Josie were screaming.

Josie looked ahead and saw another car coming straight toward them. She jerked the wheel to the right to avoid a head-on collision, but she overcorrected and sent their car careening into a parked one. Josie heard a sickening crunch to her right and then, nothing.


	16. The Return & Brave New World

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who's journeyed with Josie to Season 2! I appreciate all the views, favs, follows, and reviews! You'll gradually start to see more divergence from canon than Season 1.**

 **Season One Recap:**

 **In Season One, Josie Gilbert (twin sister to Jeremy, but aged up slightly) found herself in the world of the Vampire Diaries. All her efforts to escape have failed, though she did learn that it was Expression that brought her here. Her memory of the show isn't perfect, but she manages to save a number of people that died in the original storyline: Vicky, Zach, Lexi, and Pearl. Others, like Grams and Logan Fell, are still dead. She's grown close to her fake family and friends, despite trying to distance herself.**

 **She had a friends-with-benefits relationship with Damon in an effort to escape all the stress she felt at being stuck in this world. She eventually healed and is now in a relationship with Tyler Lockwood. During the Founder's Day celebrations, she ended up in the fateful car crash with Tyler, Caroline and Matt and that's the last thing she remembers.**

 **Oh, and she started getting visions of new events once she made significant changes to the storyline, in addition to having dreams about a mysterious dark-haired woman in a suit.**

Josie blinked and sat up. She was in her bed, her real bed. In her real room.

"Was that… a dream?"

Getting out of bed, she opened the door to her room and saw the hallway of her house. Grinning, she ran downstairs, the smell of pancakes drifting up to meet her. Pancakes had been a Sunday family tradition for as long as she could remember.

She pushed open the kitchen door and stopped dead in her tracks.

"You…" she breathed, unable to believe her eyes.

Standing at the stove, was the dark-haired woman in the suit.

"It's not time yet," she said, flipping a pancake. "Not ready."

"I'm ready now," said Josie, frowning.

"But he's not."

Josie was confused. "Who's he?" But the woman just ignored her. "Who's he?" she repeated, over and over. "Who's he?" But the louder she shouted, the further the dark-haired woman seemed, until finally she just faded away, as if she'd never been there at all.

Josie gasped and opened her eyes, only to immediately shut them at the bright light that assaulted them.

"I think she's waking up," said a voice to her right.

Josie chanced another peek and saw she was in a hospital room. Jeremy and Elena were standing by her bed.

"How are you feeling, Jo?" Jeremy asked, a concerned look on his face.

"What…" Josie trailed off, confused. How did she get here?

"You were in an accident," said Elena.

"Accident?" Josie whispered, suddenly remembering. "The car… Tyler…"

"Matt and Tyler are fine. Caroline is still unconscious," said Elena. "They… we think she'll be okay."

"And so will you," said Jeremy, taking her hand. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," said Josie, a little suspicious. "I feel great, actually. Like I wasn't even in an accident."

"Okay, don't be mad," said Elena. "Stefan gave you some blood. You were seriously hurt, Jo. We can't lose you."

Josie sighed. It wasn't the first time she'd had vampire blood. She supposed it wouldn't be the last.

"What about Caroline?"

"He's just gone to give her some too," said Elena. Josie started to get up. "No, you can't leave, Jo. Damon compelled your doctors and nurses, but you'll need to stay for at least another day or two, for the sake of everyone else."

Josie frowned. She wasn't going to stay so Katherine could off her.

"What everyone else?" asked Josie. "I feel fine, just let me go home."

"What about your friends?" asked Elena. "They've all been to see you. Not to mention Tyler."

"Elena's right," said Jeremy. "Tyler just left. We had to send him for coffee so he'd leave long enough for Stefan to heal you. He's been here almost the whole night."

Josie smiled at that. She remembered that Tyler had avoided the hospital like the plague when Vicky was admitted.

"Listen, Jo… about Tyler," said Elena. She told Josie what she'd missed last night. That Anna, Damon and Stefan were fine. The tomb vampires were dead. Katherine was here, pretending to be Elena and had attacked Uncle John. And finally, that the Mayor was dead and his funeral was that afternoon.

Josie felt another pang of guilt about the mayor. She'd completely forgotten about werewolves and the vampire device.

Of course, the mere mention of Katherine's name terrified her. Katherine meant Klaus. Josie knew Klaus would not be so easily dealt with as the tomb vampires.

She was distracted from her negative train of thought by the arrival of Tyler. Elena and Jeremy said they were going to go check on Caroline, leaving Tyler and Josie alone.

"I'm so sorry," were the first words out of his mouth.

"It's okay," said Josie, knowing the accident was completely not his fault. "I'm sorry about your dad. I… What happened?"

Tyler looked down. "I don't know. They say he accidently got caught in a fire."

"I'm so sorry," she repeated, grabbing his hand. He linked her fingers with his and brought her hand to his lips. "I want to be there for you."

"You need to rest. Stay as long as the doctors think you should."

"I'm feeling much better."

She really did. That vampire blood was useful. She'd make a fortune back home.

"I'm glad," he said, bending down to kiss her gently, not realizing she'd been healed by Stefan's blood.

Inwardly, she cringed. Tyler was not going to be another Derek, damn it. He would find out the truth soon enough. Mason was coming. So there'd be the werewolf revelation and then vampires, witches, etc would come out too.

A few minutes later, Jeremy and Elena came back, this time with Jenna and they visited with Josie for a while. When they left to pay their respects to the mayor, Josie called Damon. She asked him to compel her doctor to let her go, citing an irrational fear of hospitals. He took pity on her and agreed.

It was just before dinner that she was officially discharged. Elena and Jeremy were suspicious, but didn't say anything when they came to pick her up. They told her about Katherine's appearance at the funeral and Josie knew this was the night Katherine would turn Caroline.

Josie had decided to let it happen, remembering how Caroline had preferred being a vampire, outright rejecting the cure later on. She'd only killed that one guy, right after she was turned, so as long as Josie prevented that, it was best to not interfere.

She was just walking up the stairs after dinner when she heard raised voices in Elena's room. As she approached, she saw Damon, Elena, and Jeremy there.

"No it's not okay, Elena," Damon was saying. "I…"

Josie cut him off. "What's going on?" she asked, moving into the room. Oh my god, this was the scene where Damon killed Jeremy, she realized. "Damon, what are you doing here?"

Her eyes flickered to Jeremy's hand, and, to her relief, the Gilbert ring was on his finger. Still, she subtly moved toward Damon and Elena, placing herself between Damon and Jeremy.

"He was just leaving," said Elena.

"I don't feel like leaving," said Damon, moving toward Josie, having been rejected by one Gilbert sister. "One more night, Josie? For old time's sake?"

Josie froze, unable to breathe. She looked at Elena with dread.

"What are you talking about?" Elena asked.

"Come on," said Damon, putting an arm around Josie, who tried to shove him off. "Didn't you notice that I was fucking your sister?"

The world blurred and Josie found herself on her bed with Damon's lips attached to her neck and Damon on top of her.

She gasped. "Stop, Damon," said Josie, pushing at him. "I'm with Tyler."

"Come on," said Damon, still kissing her neck. "You know he can't make you feel like I did."

Josie bit her lip, remembering just how good Damon made her feel. His skills hadn't lessened any, given the way he was treating her neck.

"No, Damon," she said, beating on his chest. "Stop!"

Damon growled and stood up.

"Leave her alone, Damon," came Elena's voice from the doorway. Josie saw Jeremy and Stefan standing behind her.

"I hope you enjoy this jock as much as the last one," Damon snarled and sped away.

Josie sighed. She was grateful Damon hadn't killed Jeremy, but he'd still managed to act like an asshole, per usual.

"Are you okay?" asked Elena, coming over and hugging her.

Josie nodded. "I'm fine. What the hell happened to him?"

"Katherine," said Stefan. He then proceeded to tell them about how Katherine had fucked with Damon. Josie instantly felt bad for him. Being rejected by three women in the same night. That had to sting.

Then it was Josie's turn. "Elena, I'm sorry… I wanted to tell you about me and Damon.. I just… It's over now. It has been for a while. I should have told you…"

"How could you sleep with him, Josie?" interrupted Elena. "After how he treated Caroline, after everything he's done?"

"Damon's not all bad," said Josie, feeling the need to defend her decision. Though in light of tonight, she felt stupid for saying it. "He's a jerk, I know, but so far he's honored our bargain and hasn't killed anyone."

"Lately," said Elena, angrily. "That doesn't make him a saint."

"I know," sighed Josie. Elena wasn't wrong.

"And how could you not tell me?" asked Elena, now more hurt. "We said no more secrets."

At that, Josie felt a stab of guilt. If Elena only knew the huge secret that Josie was keeping from all of them. Her true origins, her visions.

"I'm sorry," said Josie, unable to look any of them in the eye.

Elena sighed and then enveloped Josie in another hug. "It's okay, Jo. I wouldn't want to admit I slept with Damon, either."

At that, Josie had to suppress a little laugh, given Elena's future relationship with him.

Josie was just getting into bed when she realized something was off about Stefan's story of Katherine and Damon at the Boarding House. Pulling out her phone, she texted Stefan.

Tears sprung to her eyes when she saw his response, even though she knew it was true before he wrote it: Zach was dead. Apparently, the tomb vampires had killed him in Virginia Beach as revenge for Stefan and Damon's actions against them prior to Founder's Day. Josie was devastated. In the end, she'd only bought him a few more months.

The next day, Josie went to see Caroline at the hospital. Sure enough, when she tried to open the curtains and Caroline freaked, Josie realized she was a vampire. Josie called Stefan, who came and started helping Caroline become a non-murderous vampire. He convinced Bonnie to make her a daylight ring, etc, etc. Thus they all avoided the drama of Caroline the vampire ravaging the carnival.

Of course, everyone was freaking out about Katherine's message 'Game On', and what it meant and what Katherine was planning. Josie knew the real challenge wasn't Katherine. That Katherine was just a blip on the radar that led to all things Klaus. Klaus and his damn curse breaking.

Just thinking about Klaus and the Originals made Josie long for home. But she wouldn't leave. It was odd, but for the first time since she'd come, she didn't want to escape. At least not now.

She cared about the people here. True, they weren't her first family and friends, but they were a close second. And she knew if she left now, all the horrible things that happened in the show (Jenna dying, Mason dying, etc) would definitely happen. Jenna's death, in particular, haunted her. On the show, it had been awful, but now the thought was excruciating.

Still, she had time, she thought, as she headed to Tyler's house for dinner. Apparently, Carol had overheard Tyler telling Mason that Josie was his girlfriend now and she had insisted Josie be invited over.

Carol was pleasant enough, but she had a few too many glasses of wine and the questions she asked Josie and the comments she made got more and more inappropriate as the night wore on.

Where had Uncle John gone so suddenly? Did Josie know who Jenna was supporting in the upcoming mayoral elections? Did she understand the importance of being a Founding Family member? And most cringe-worthy, what a great match her and Tyler made. How it would be an honor to Carol's late husband for her Lockwood son to marry a Gilbert. Even Mason couldn't keep a straight face at that.

When Carol excused herself to go to the bathroom, Tyler apologized immediately.

"God Josie, I'm sorry."

"She just lost her husband, Tyler. It's understandable," said Josie. "I guess I should be grateful she approves." Josie bit her lip, unsure what else to say.

"I'm surprised she didn't ask what your dowry was," said Mason, trying to ease the awkwardness.

Tyler and Josie laughed at that.

"5 camels and a goat," Josie said, with mock seriousness.

"Oh, you're worth at least 10 camels," said Mason, laughing.

Soon, it became clear that Carol wasn't coming back. Tyler went to go check on her, leaving Mason and Josie alone.

"So, are you coming to the carnival tomorrow?" asked Josie.

"They still do that?"

"Every year," she said, nodding. "They have an arm wrestling booth, you know. I bet you'd do well," she smirked.

"Why would you say that?"

"You just look like a strong guy," she said, inwardly giggling at his suspicous eyes. Sometimes it was fun being her. "Anyway, you should come by. I'm helping set up."

With Caroline in the hospital, Elena had taken over her carnival chairwoman duties and had 'volunteered' Josie to help.

They talked about the carnival for a while until Tyler came back. He informed them that his mother wasn't returning to dinner. Mason excused himself and wished them goodnight.

"I guess I should probably get going," said Josie, reluctantly.

Tyler wrapped his arms around her. "You don't have to if you don't want to. But, I know you're still recovering."

"I'm fine," said Josie. "Really." Thanks to Stefan's blood. She couldn't wait for Tyler to find out about supernatural stuff. Wasn't Mason supposed to talk to him soon?

Tyler smiled. "So?"

"So… I guess I can stay for a bit," she said, grabbing his hand as he led her to his room.

"Mind if I change?" asked Tyler, tugging on the semi-formal clothes his mother had probably insisted he wear for their dinner.

"Go ahead," she said, sitting on his bed.

"Sorry about my mom," said Tyler, peeling off his shirt and pants. "Again."

Mmm… thought Josie, he really is quite sexy. Tyler worked out like crazy. Josie remembered that he had used it to help curb the aggression and anger that all werewolves and potential werewolves seemed to have.

"It's okay, hun," she said, getting up to stand in front of him. "She's going through a rough time." Josie ran her hands up and over Tyler's bare chest. "So are you."

Her hands linked behind his head and he lowered his lips to hers. He kissed her and she deepened the kiss almost immediately. He let his hands drift down to dip under her shirt. He grabbed the hem and pulled it over her head, walking them back to the bed. They continued kissing as he lowered her down so he was lying on top of her.

He stopped for a second and pulled off her pants and shoes, so they were both only in their underwear. They continued like that, just kissing, until Josie reached down and pushed his boxers down over his hips.

He broke away. "Are you sure?" he breathed, eyes closed when she circled him in her hand.

She nodded. They had been officially a couple for a few weeks now. She really liked him. Maybe even that other "L" word too.

"Yes. Do you have protection?"

"Shit," he said. "No. Sorry, I didn't think we'd be doing this tonight. You're not on birth control or anything?"

"No." Then Josie had an idea. "What about Mason?"

Mason was cool. He was screwing Katherine, after all. Maybe he had a condom lying around.

"Mason?"

"Yeah, maybe he has a condom you can have?"

"Mason's my uncle. It'd be too weird."

Josie shrugged. "He's not my uncle, I can ask him," she said, starting to get up.

Tyler pushed her down and got up. "I'll ask him," he said, gruffly, pulling some loose shorts over his swollen cock.

When he returned a few minutes later, he practically attacked her.

"Did you?" she asked, in between his brutal kisses.

"Yes," was all he said. He stripped off his shorts and boxers, practically tore off her bra and underwear. He rubbed himself between her spread legs and started to lower his head, but she stopped him.

"Please," she said, looking him in the eye. Foreplay could wait. She was too keyed up for anything besides him.

He smiled and reached down to roll on a condom. A few seconds later, he was sinking into her. She moaned loudly at the feeling of him stretching her. He felt amazing.

"God, Josie," he said, as he filled her to the hilt. With visible effort, he steadied his pace and kissed her as he moved inside her. She ran her hands down his back, through his hair, whatever she could reach. He started to speed up and reached down to stroke her until she was screaming his name.

"Tyler… oh god, I'm.. I'm coming," she moaned as she felt herself tip over the edge.

He soon followed, cursing as he came. He leaned down and kissed her, telling her how beautiful she was, how lucky he felt.

"Lucky Mason had a condom," Josie chuckled.

Tyler smiled and pulled out of her. He quickly disposed of the condom and laid on his back. She snuggled into his side and threw her arm over his chest.

"He didn't give you a hard time, did he?" she asked.

"No. Said I should be more prepared next time and to keep it down."

"You don't think he heard us?"

Tyler shrugged. "I did ask for a condom. He knew what we were doing in here."

Josie smiled. "Just one?" she asked, moving her hand lower to run a finger along his softening dick.

"Well, not just one," he said, kissing her. "A guy has to be optimistic."

They kissed and talked and had sex into the wee hours of the morning, when they fell asleep together.

The next morning they woke up to a knock on the door.

Tyler groaned, "Who is it?"

"Mason," came the answer. "It's 6 am. I thought we were going for a run this morning."

"Just a sec," said Tyler. "Sorry, babe. I did tell him we'd do a few laps around the property."

Josie mumbled something inaudible.

Tyler smiled. "You don't have to go anywhere. Sleep for a little longer."

"Mmm.. kay," Josie said, covering her head with the sheet.

She was just waking up again when Tyler came back.

"Still in bed?" he asked, coming over to her. He was sweaty and enveloped her in a giant bear hug.

"Tyler, you're gross…"

"And now you are too," he laughed.

He tugged her hand and she followed him into his en-suite bathroom, where they took a shower together. By the time they were finished, it was getting late, so Josie rushed back home for quick change before heading to school.

The day seemed to drag with her lack of sleep, but Josie didn't get a chance to rest as she joined Bonnie and Elena immediately after school to help with the carnival set-up. Once the carnival officially started, Josie met up with her friends.

Tyler came later and brought Mason. After a while, Tyler dragged Josie over to the arm-wrestling booth. Men and their egos, she thought, shaking her head. But Tyler was strong. He won again and again. Her inner feminist rebelled, but she had to admit it was really hot to see him beat all those other guys. And he wasn't even a vampire or a werewolf. It was all him.

Josie congratulated him on a particularly difficult win with a kiss, but when she pulled away, she felt eyes on them. She looked up and saw the Salvatore brothers looking at them.

Ah, she remembered this. Damon was suspicious of the Lockwoods. She was pretty sure Mason was going to reveal his werewolfy side at some point tonight. If she remembered correctly, Damon compelled some guy to go after Mason. She narrowed her eyes at the Salvatore brothers and pulled out her phone, thinking maybe she could head them off.

'Since when are you so interested in arm-wresting?' she texted to both Damon and Stefan.

'Your boyfriend seems pretty strong,' Damon responded.

'He is pretty strong,' she wrote back.

'I'm stronger,' wrote Damon.

'You're not human. Tyler is.'

'Are you sure?' wrote Damon.

'Yes. Is this why you were at the Lockwood mansion this morning? You think Tyler's a vampire?'

'Not a vampire. Something else maybe. And how do you know I was at the Lockwood mansion?'

'Saw your car there as I was leaving.'

'Naughty, naughty.'

'Guys, do I have to be on this chain?' wrote Stefan.

'Sorry, Stefan. But Tyler is human, Damon. I would know if he weren't.'

Their texting conversation was cut short by the arrival of Mason.

"I bet I can beat you," said Mason, smirking at Tyler. "Hey Josie."

"Hey Mason," she returned.

"Bring it on, surfer boy," said Tyler, grabbing Mason's hand.

Josie bit her lip. Poor Tyler was going to be disappointed.

"Is that it?" asked Mason, smirking after he won. "What were you up to last night that you're so tired today?" His eyes slid to Josie, who laughed.

Tyler rolled his eyes and didn't respond. "All right, he's the champ. Who wants to go next?"

Damon spoke up. "Uh, Stefan wants a go."

Josie just rolled her eyes. She'd considered trying to stop Mason arm-wrestling, but since Damon already suspected the Lockwoods, she figured that Damon was going to compel the guy to go after Mason regardless of the arm-wrestling match.

She watched as Stefan came up and, while he let Mason win, he was clearly surprised at how strong Mason was.

Josie kissed Tyler and excused herself, saying she needed to go to the bathroom. By the time she found Stefan and Damon, it was too late. Stefan told her that Damon had compelled a guy to go after Tyler. Damon was livid that Stefan told Josie, but didn't stop her when she took off.

She went back to the arm-wrestling booth and tried to find Tyler, but Mason said he had left. She asked him to help her find Tyler, but by the time they found him in the parking lot, he was already fighting with the guy that Damon had compelled.

Mason intervened immediately and subdued the guy, but not before displaying some impressive acrobatics and Tyler making a comment about his glowing eyes. Once the guy was down, Josie rushed over to Tyler.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" she asked, helping Tyler up.

"I'm fine," said Tyler. "Nothing broken, I think."

"Good," said Mason. "But, I should probably get him home."

Josie nodded, hoping that Mason would tell Tyler the truth when they got home and were alone.

"I can't leave just yet," Josie said, stepping out of Tyler's embrace. "I promised Elena I'd help clean up."

She kissed Tyler goodbye and left the two men alone.

Josie went back to her friends to enjoy the rest of the carnival. She particularly loved seeing Jeremy and Anna together. They were such a cute couple and she was happy for them, especially since Anna was originally meant to die on Founder's Day. Josie smiled at the thought- she could do this.

Bring it on, Klaus.


	17. Bad Moon Rising - Kill or Be Killed

**A/N: I apologize in advance for the puns. In my defense, one of them is actually from TVD. So they started it.**

The next morning, Tyler picked Josie up for school and he complained the whole way there that Mason had dodged his questions about what happened at the carnival. She didn't know what to say. She just shook her head in sympathy and silently vowed Tyler would find out the truth soon even if she had to risk Damon's wrath and just told him herself.

It was clear Damon was getting increasingly suspicious of the Lockwoods. Elena pulled Josie aside at school and told her they were all meeting at the Boarding house the next morning to talk to Alaric about Isobel's research on other supernatural elements in Mystic Falls.

That night Josie, Tyler, Jeremy and Anna went on a double date. They had dinner at a local restaurant and went bowling afterwards. While Josie was an awful bowler (only Jeremy was worse), they had a great time and all promised they would do it again soon. It felt nice to do something so normal.

The next morning, Josie and Elena drove over to the Boarding House to have their meeting with Alaric.

Damon's face fell when he saw Josie walk in. Josie hadn't spoken to Damon since they'd fought at the carnival after Damon compelled a guy to go after Tyler.

"What is she doing here?" Damon asked Elena.

"She is my sister, Damon," said Elena.

"She is also standing right here," said Josie. "And since you're talking about my boyfriend and his family, I think I have a right to be here."

She was getting a little tired of Damon's bad attitude. First he compels a random guy to go after Tyler, now she's not even welcome in his house?

"You don't want to believe anything is wrong with your precious Tyler," sneered Damon.

Josie's eyes narrowed. "I know there isn't anything wrong with him. But I can't deny what I saw during the carnival," she admitted. "There's something up with Mason." Yeah, that was an understatement.

Damon was about to reply when the doorbell rang. It was Alaric.

Stefan and Damon explained that they were hoping Isobel's research would help them clarify what was going on with the Lockwoods. Alaric responded that her research was all about myths and legends, though he admitted some of it (like vampires) had turned out to be true.

"Aside from vampires," asked Elena. "What else?"

"The Lycanthrope," said Alaric.

"Wait. Like werewolves?" asked Elena.

"No way. Impossible," said Damon. "Way too Lon Chaney."

"Is it?" asked Stefan.

"I've been on this planet 160-odd years. Never come across one," said Damon. "If werewolves exist, where the hell are they?"

Josie rolled her eyes. "Most people have never come across a vampire. Or at least they don't know they have. Vampires look like everyone else until you know, you get all 'Grrr'. Werewolves only come out once a month and are rare. I'm not surprised that you missed them. Even with your incredibly keen eye," she finished, voice dripping in sarcasm.

Damon looked at her darkly, but Elena cut in.

"How do you know about werewolves?" she asked.

Josie shrugged. "Anna told me. She and her mom are a lot older than you guys are." She indicated Stefan and Damon. "She didn't know much about them, but she did confirm they exist."

"Okay, but why do you suspect the Lockwoods?" Alaric asked.

Stefan and Damon explained about how the Gilbert device affected Tyler and his dad, but they clearly weren't vampires. And how Mason had acted the night of the carnival.

"It suggested some sort of a supernatural entity," concluded Stefan.

"Maybe Isobel's research can help us figure out if they are werewolves or not," said Elena.

"Why don't we just ask them?" said Josie.

"You think Lon Chaney's just gonna start spilling his secrets because you're sleeping with him?" asked Damon, sarcastically.

"Tyler is my boyfriend," said Josie, angrily. "And I told you before, Tyler doesn't know anything. He suspects Mason, but Mason isn't saying anything. Tyler is 100% human."

"Jo, you said it yourself that you can't tell if someone's a vampire or not normally," said Elena, carefully. "How would you know if Tyler's a werewolf?"

"Because I've been with him or know people who have been with him for the past several full moons," said Josie, exasperated. "I think people would have noticed when we were at the Grill if Tyler started turning into a wolf."

Even Damon didn't have a retort for that.

"Fair enough," said Stefan. "But what about Mason? If he won't tell Tyler, why do you think he'd tell us?"

Stefan had a point.

"I don't know," Josie said, lamely. "You're vampires. Maybe he'll show you his fur if you show him your fangs?" Silence. "Fine, fine, it couldn't hurt to look through Isobel's research, I suppose."

"And you can't tell Tyler," said Damon.

"Not until there's something to tell," said Elena, narrowing her eyes at Damon.

"Fine," said Josie. "But when and if we do find something, I'm telling Tyler. Everything. If you're going to go unlocking his family's secrets, it's only fair that he knows yours. I've kept him in the dark long enough."

Damon looked angry, but didn't say anything.

"Well," said Alaric, breaking the tension. "All of Isobel's things are still at Duke. Her office is still there. Technically, she's still missing."

"Can we get access to it?" asked Damon. "We need to know what we're dealing with. I've seen enough movies to know werewolves could be dangerous. Especially to vampires."

In the end, they decided that Alaric, Damon and Elena would drive to Duke to go through Isobel's research, given Stefan was still helping Caroline control her bloodlust.

Josie declined, knowing they would find a lot of great info, but that nothing really exciting happened and she would learn everything anyway (if she had forgotten some details). Plus, it was a full moon tonight and she wanted to be here when Mason turned.

After Elena, Damon and Alaric left for Duke, Josie changed into her swimsuit and headed over to Tyler's where he was having a party by the swim hole. She remembered there'd been some drama this night, but by the time she'd finished her Boarding House meeting, Tyler had already invited a bunch of people, so it was too late to cancel. She didn't think anyone was hurt though, so she figured she'd just wait and see.

It was early afternoon when she arrived at the swim hole. Bridget, Tracy and Colin were all there and she joined them, sipping drinks and talking. She saw Mason's truck pull up after a while and went to see what he wanted.

"You busting us or joining us?" asked Tyler, joining Josie next to Mason's truck.

"Neither," said Mason. "Hoping you can make sure everyone's out of here by dark."

Josie realized the old cellar place where Mason chained himself up must be nearby.

"What happens after dark?" asked Tyler, grabbing Josie around the waist.

"Someone ends up wasted and dead at the bottom of the lake," said Mason. Tyler just laughed. "You heard your mom. The family's liable if anything happens."

Tyler frowned. "Don't be a party killer."

"I didn't say you had to stop partying," said Mason. "Just take the party elsewhere."

"Yeah," added Josie. "It's a full moon tonight. All sorts of crazy things happen on a full moon, right guys?"

Mason narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anything. She couldn't help herself. She was a little annoyed Mason had refused to answer Tyler's questions.

Tyler nodded. "All right. We'll be out of here."

Josie watched Mason pull away and saw that Caroline and Stefan had arrived, probably having just gone animal hunting. She waved to them before turning back to Tyler. She kissed him, but pulled away when he started feeling her up. He'd had a fair amount to drink.

"Tyler, we're in public," she said, giggling.

"Hmm…" he murmured. "Stay over here tonight?"

"Okay," she smiled, then grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the swim hole.

As soon as the sun started to set, Josie insisted they move the party elsewhere. Tyler agreed and told her he found the perfect place. She didn't realize he meant the old Lockwood cellar where Mason was chaining himself up. A little worried, she told him she didn't like the look of the cellar and made him go back the way they came.

They had just gotten back to the swim hole when Stefan came up to them, frantic. Apparently, Caroline and Matt had gone off in the woods alone. Tyler didn't see what the big deal was, but agreed to go look for them. Once he was out of earshot, Stefan told Josie that Elena had called to say that a werewolf bite was rumored to be fatal to a vampire and Mason could be anywhere. Which of course Josie knew was all absolutely true.

Stefan rushed off in vampire speed, leaving Josie to catch up with Tyler. By the time they heard shouting, Mason, in wolf form, was on top of Caroline. Stefan used vampire speed to throw Mason off her, but Mason was fast and strong too. He turned immediately to attack Stefan and Caroline again while Matt, Josie and Tyler watched.

Tyler shouted "No!" and Mason turned toward Tyler and Josie. Tyler put an arm back to keep Josie behind him, but Mason backed off and ran away, seemingly recognizing Tyler.

Caroline compelled Matt, but Josie refused to have Tyler compelled. Thankfully, Stefan relented (Josie was grateful Damon wasn't there). Tyler wasn't happy that she hadn't told him before, but he understood as they weren't exactly her secrets to tell. His anger was somewhat mitigated when they went up to his room and she answered every single question he could think of about the supernatural.

"What about werewolves?" Tyler asked, stroking her arm. They were lying in his bed together.

"You mean your uncle?" asked Josie.

"How do you know it was him?"

"You mean between his impressive acrobatics the night of the carnival and that the wolf acted like it knew you. I mean it wasn't hard to put two and two together." Josie hoped that was believable.

Tyler nodded. "If he's a werewolf, does that mean I'm going to be one?"

"I don't know," said Josie. She felt bad for lying, but she couldn't explain away any real werewolf knowledge as Anna hadn't known much. "I thought werewolves were a myth until just recently. Can you ask Mason?"

"I will," said Tyler, smiling. "He can't dodge my questions now."

He leaned down and started kissing her more aggressively. She smiled and pushed him off, having him lay flat on his back. She took him into her mouth, not stopping until he came. He returned the favor and then he pushed inside her, making her forget all about vampires, witches and werewolves.

The next day was the day of the barbeque. Where Damon tried to reveal Mason as a werewolf and then kill him. Josie wasn't sure if Damon still had the same game plan. They had their no-killing deal, of course, but Josie had a feeling that Damon wasn't planning to extend it to werewolves.

Tyler and Josie were coming down the stairs from his room, about to head to her house for the barbeque, when Tyler spotted Mason.

"Hey Mason, you got a second?" asked Tyler, rushing down the stairs and leaving Josie at the landing.

"Nah, Man, gotta get to the barbeque," Mason said, grabbing his keys.

"We can all drive together," offered Tyler.

"I've got somewhere else to be after," said Mason. "So I need to drive myself."

Tyler frowned. "Come on, give me two minutes. All right? You can't keep dodging me. I'm freaking out over here."

Mason eyed Josie, who had come to stand by Tyler. "Not now."

"I know, Mason," said Josie.

Mason looked angry. "Man, you told her?"

"I already knew," said Josie. "It wasn't hard to figure out. What with your flying kung fu moves at the carnival, glowy eyes and then the wolf at the full moon."

Mason sighed. "What do you want me to say, Tyler? Yes, I turn into a wolf. No, it's not gonna happen to you."

"How do you know that?" asked Tyler.

Josie clasped his hand in what she hoped was a reassuring way. She was determined to stop Tyler from triggering the curse. He didn't need to go through all that heartache, not to mention physical pain. She was going to save him. Somehow.

"Because you're not going to trigger the curse," said Mason. "Your dad didn't know anything about all of this. Neither did I until it happened to me."

"How does it get triggered?" asked Tyler.

"Ignorance is bliss," said Mason. "Trust me."

"You blow back into town with some supernatural family secret and you expect me to not ask questions?"

"I can't say anything more. I'm sorry, Tyler. It's just better for you if I don't."

Then Tyler asked Mason about the moonstone. Oh my god, Josie thought. The moonstone. Mason blew it off, but she knew it was important. Like super, ridiculously important.

After Mason left, Josie asked Tyler about it.

"Moonstone? What's a moonstone?"

"This," he said, taking the stone out of his pocket and handing it to her.

Holy crap... Maybe she should take it right now, drive to the ocean and fucking chuck it off a deep sea boat.

But she couldn't. Katherine knew it was here. Klaus could too. If she threw it away, he might slaughter the whole of Mystic Falls in revenge.

She shuddered when she remembered what Klaus had done to Katherine's family. No, the only way to beat Klaus would be to completely incapacitate him (like the desiccation spell or a white oak stake) or to give him exactly what he wanted. Either road was fraught with difficulty (and lined with the bodies of people she cared about).

Even with all her foreknowledge of what was to come, she still couldn't see the best way forward regarding the Originals. Which reminded her that she needed to take a trip to Wickery Bridge soon.

"It's pretty," she said, turning the stone over in her hand and trying to keep her voice casual. "Why would he want this?"

Tyler shrugged. "Who knows?" She gave it back to him and he put it in his pocket. "Let's go."

They drove to Josie's house. Thankfully, the drive helped Tyler cool down a bit after his fight with Mason.

"He'll tell you eventually," said Josie. "Right now we have to get through this barbeque."

Tyler nodded and linked his hand with hers. "I am hungry," he said, smiling suggestively.

Josie laughed. "After last night and this morning?"

"What can I say? You just bring it out of me. In more ways than one."

Josie smiled.

"I'm serious, Josie," said Tyler, who did look serious. "I… you mean a lot to me."

"You mean a lot to me, too," she said, squeezing his hand.

She actually thought she might be falling in love with him. She sighed. Was that wise? She wasn't staying, right? Right? She must have been frowning, because Tyler interrupted her thoughts.

"You okay?" he asked, pulling up to the Gilbert House.

"Yeah," she said, getting out of the car. "Fine."

He frowned, but didn't push the subject.

They walked up to the house, hand in hand. Tyler went to the bathroom and Josie went upstairs to put her bag away. When she came down, she saw Tyler was talking to Elena and Caroline outside on the porch. Damon and Mason were in the kitchen. .

She decided to get something to drink in the kitchen and run interference, if necessary.

"I've heard great things about you," Mason was saying.

Damon looked surprised. "Really, that's weird. 'Cause I'm a dick."

"Truer words were never spoken," said Josie, coming into the kitchen.

Damon smirked. "Well, my bark is worse than my bite."

"Right," said Josie, rolling her eyes and opening the fridge. Two can play this game. "Do you want something else to drink, Damon? Bloody Mary? They are such a pain in the neck to make though."

"Well, I'd hate to have you work like a dog just to make me a drink, Josie," snapped Damon, angrily.

"Well, I'm polite. It's in my blood. Plus, it really sucks to go thirsty at a party," said Josie, slamming the fridge door shut. Damon really was a dick.

"Well, if you fetch me a…"

A throat clearing near the doorway interrupted whatever Damon was going to say next.

"Food's ready," said Alaric, frowning.

Josie shot one more glare at Damon and went to take her place next to Tyler at the table.

The meal was incredibly awkward. Damon continued dropping ridiculous dog/wolf hints and innuendos all throughout the meal. Jenna kept scowling at Damon, who kept looking at Elena when his attention wasn't on Mason. Alaric tried to keep the peace between his girlfriend and his friend. Josie helped Mason with his deflections and was rivaling Jenna's nasty looks towards Damon. Elena just looked worried that Stefan hadn't returned her calls and Caroline wouldn't stop stuffing her face, trying to keep the blood cravings at bay. Poor Tyler just ate his food silently.

After a horrible game of Pictionary led by Damon, it was time for dessert. Damon tried to get Mason to cut the peach cobbler with a silver knife, but Josie cut in and did it for him. Damon was shooting daggers at her, but she just brushed it off.

After dessert, Elena and Caroline took off to find Stefan. Josie followed Mason into the kitchen where Damon was, leaving Alaric, Jenna and Tyler out in the living room.

"Okay, Jenna's breaking out Guitar Hero," said Mason, as they came into the kitchen. "Might be time to mutiny."

"Well I just happen to like Guitar Hero," said Damon. "So you, my friend, are barking up the wrong tree."

"Okay, enough with the innuendos. You win. You're hilarious."

"Thank you," said Damon.

"Come on, man. You don't think I know what this barbeque is about?"

"How do you know about me?" asked Damon. "Did you tell him?" Damon turned to Josie with an angry look.

"Fuck you, Damon," said Josie. "The only person I told was Tyler.

"She didn't say a word," said Mason, moving to stand between them. Josie rolled her eyes. She didn't need protection from Damon. "It doesn't matter how I know. I'm not your enemy, Damon."

"You tried to kill my brother."

"As a wolf," said Josie, rolling her eyes.

Mason nodded. "Exactly. There was confusion. I couldn't chain myself up in time. I have no control once I shift."

"What, no obedience school?" asked Damon.

"Stop it, Damon," said Josie, moving between Damon and Mason. "I'm sure he'll make sure to chain himself up in time next month. And in the meantime, he's no threat."

"What's he doing in Mystic Falls then?" asked Damon, inching closer to her. She refused to back down though. Just crossed her arms and stared him straight in the face.

"His brother just died you asshole," said Josie, even though she knew Mason was here to get the moonstone for Katherine. She wanted to protect Mason, knowing he died horribly at the hands of Damon.

"I'm here for my family, Damon," confirmed Mason. "Let's be above this."

Damon nodded and took a sip from his drink.

Josie didn't believe him for a second and waited until Mason left to poke Damon in the chest.

"Just let it go, Damon. You figured out his secret. Congratulations. Just let him be there for his family."

"Be careful, Josie," he said, snatching her finger away from his chest and holding it between his hands. "You know how much I dislike being told what to do."

"Let go of me," she said, pulling her hand away from him. "You don't have to like him, but you do have to honor our agreement."

"Sorry," said Damon, not looking the least bit sorry. "Our agreement was for people. Werewolves aren't people."

"How dare you…" Josie started to say, but Damon cut her off.

"Besides, John Gilbert's gone. The mayor's dead. The Sheriff's daughter is one of us. And you'd never risk Stefan and Anna, given what they mean to Elena and Jeremy. Forgive me if your threat to out us doesn't have me quaking in my shoes."

And with that, he went into the living room, leaving Josie alone in the kitchen. She sighed. He wasn't wrong. It was an empty threat at this point.

A little while later, Mason left, then Damon. Josie was reasonably sure that Mason wasn't killed that night, but she was sure that Damon would attack him, still thinking the silver would hurt him (she remembered that had been a myth). She had tried to prevent it and that hadn't worked, so apparently it was just going to happen.

Elena called Josie just after Damon left, asking for a ride to the Boarding House. Elena was pissed as Caroline had spent the day distracting Elena on Katherine's orders and she had just left Caroline on the side of the road. Josie agreed and picked Elena up a few minutes later.

When they got to the Boarding House, Josie said she'd wait outside, not wanting to run into Damon. It was only a minute later that Elena came out the front door.

"Elena?" called Josie, leaning against her car. She looked different. She'd changed her hair and her clothes and… "Katherine."

Katherine sped over to her, causing Josie to jump. She didn't think she'd ever get used to vampire speed.

"And who might you be?" Katherine asked. "Wait, let me guess." Katherine looked her up and down. "Josie, right? I missed you at the hospital the other day." She smiled deviously.

Josie's eyes went wide. Now she was extremely grateful she'd left the hospital when she did.

"Sorry I disappointed you," returned Josie, crossing her arms.

Katherine shrugged. "Caroline worked just as well. Though Isobel thought you'd make a great vampire. She told me about you. You're the reason my former best friend and her daughter are still walking around." Katherine looked bitter at that.

"Guess you've been nothing but disappointed ever since you came back to Mystic Falls," said Josie. "Wrong girl, wrong brother…"

"I'll get what I want," said Katherine, coolly. "I always do."

"Really?" asked Josie, raising an eyebrow. "Then why'd you'd wait 140 years to come back for Stefan? Why'd you fake your death?"

Josie knew she was treading on dangerous territory, but Katherine was like Damon- she responded better to strength than submission. And she could be a powerful ally. She wanted Klaus gone too.

Katherine just smirked. "Isobel was right about you." She started walking away.

"What does that mean?" asked Josie, confused.

Katherine turned around and stared hard at her. "There's something… more to you." And then, she was gone.

Josie didn't know what to think. She remembered the conversation she'd had with Isobel when the vampire had captured her. Had she revealed something unintentionally? She shook her head and headed into the Boarding House to make sure Elena and Stefan were okay.

Tyler called her later to tell her that Mason had spilled the awful truth about the trigger. She told him that he was a good person and that he would never kill anyone, despite how angry he got. That she would keep him grounded. She just hoped she was right.

Tyler said he offered to help Mason look for the moonstone, but hadn't told Mason he actually had it. Josie breathed a sigh of relief and made sure Tyler had no plans to give it to Mason.

The next day, Elena tearfully told Josie and Jeremy on the way to school that her and Stefan had broken up, due to Katherine's manipulations. Josie rolled her eyes as she knew it was a fake fight, but still played the appropriately sympathetic sister.

The Historical Society volunteer picnic when Mason outed Damon and Stefan to the Sheriff was a few days later. Josie was hoping to prevent it. Maybe then, they could all just cool off and Damon would see that Mason wasn't worth the trouble. Damon and Alaric had ended up sort of friends when they had been enemies at first. Maybe that could happen with Mason?

To that end, Josie interrupted the conversation that Mason was having with Sheriff Forbes. Twice. The Sheriff probably thought she was crazy and Mason was furious. He pulled her to the side when no one was looking and dragged her into the woods.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" asked Mason, looming over her.

"Saving you. Damon will kill you. I know what you're trying to do. Expose him to the council."

"Damon needs to be stopped. You think he won't kill anyone that gets in his way? What if he tried to kill Tyler? Would you still be trying to stop me?"

Josie looked stonily at him. "I'm just trying to protect you, Mason."

"I don't need protection."

Josie sighed. "Can't you just let it go? Stefan wants peace. You want peace."

"I did want peace. Now Damon Salvatore has to die. He's a threat to me. Tyler, too. He won't stop."

"He's not all bad. Maybe if you let him cool off..."

"How can you defend him?" asked Mason, getting more and more angry. "Because you slept with him?"

Josie gasped. "How… that doesn't matter! Damon is an asshole, but he's an asshole that is a lot stronger than you. And Stefan has his back."

Josie was practically hysterical at this point, but didn't care. Mason was going to die a horrible death and she was furious she wasn't succeeding at preventing it. "You're going to get yourself killed," she shouted, getting in his face. "All because of your stupid, fucking male ego."

"Fuck you," shouted Mason. "He fucking started it."

"What is this? Fucking Kindergarten?" she screamed. She didn't get a chance to say anything else because Mason growled and suddenly grabbed her shoulders, pinning her to a tree.

"Shut up!" he panted, looking down at her. "Shut up!"

His eyes locked on hers and held them for what seemed like forever. Then he blinked and the moment was broken.

"Just stay out of my way, Josie," he said in a low voice, then stalked away.

She took a few moments to catch her breath. She started walking back, but she was accosted by one of the organizers. By the time she realized he was just a distraction set up by Mason, it was too late. When she finally got back to the picnic site, Josie was sure Mason had told Sheriff Forbes about Damon and Stefan and had put the "spiking the lemonade" plan into action.

She remembered it was Damon that had the spiked lemonade to drink, so she kept an eye on him. When he approached the lemonade stand a while later, she saw that Mason was there too. She immediately intervened.

"Hey Mason, Damon. How's your day going?"

Both men did not look pleased to see her.

"Fine, Josie," said Mason. "Aren't you supposed to be helping Tyler plant flower beds? Or did you decide to hop back into Damon's bed?"

She smiled tightly and said, "Fuck you, Mason." She grabbed a lemonade and turned around. "I do need to talk to Damon for a second though."

After Mason left, Damon turned to Josie. "What do you want?"

Josie rolled her eyes at his annoyed tone. "Mason isn't trying to kill you, Damon. But he is trying to expose you. If I help you keep your cover, will you promise not to kill him?"

"What is it with you and not killing him? He's a werewolf."

"Yeah, and you're a vampire, which means you're dangerous all month long, whereas he's only a danger once a month. Please just try and show some restraint, okay?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "Fine."

Josie figured that was as good as she was going to get. Plus, considering what had happened next, she was going to tell Damon either way.

"I'm pretty sure there's vervain in the lemonade. The Sheriff is watching. If I were you, I'd pretend to drink some. That way she won't try again."

She was just getting in her car to leave when she felt someone behind her.

"How did you know?" asked Mason.

"What?"

"How did you know what I was trying to do? About the lemonade?"

Josie shrugged and tried to sound casual. "I saw you talking to the Sheriff and figured she was your best bet for getting rid of Damon. Then a friend saw the Sheriff put something in the lemonade while I was gone."

Mason looked like he didn't believe her. "I think there's something more to it."

She started at his words and narrowed her eyes. "Funny. Katherine said something similar."

Josie just caught the nanosecond of surprise that graced his features before he quickly schooled his face. "Who's Katherine?"

Josie laughed. "Come on, you both came into town at the same time. You somehow know all about the Salvatore brothers. You're not a very good liar, Mason."

"She's not wrong," said a voice behind them.

Josie gasped when she saw Katherine.

"What are you doing, Kat?" asked Mason.

"Cleaning up your mess," she said, sharply. She held Josie and took off her watch.

Josie tried to calm herself as Katherine looked her in the eye and compelled her to forget this conversation and any suspicions about Mason and Katherine. She also asked about the moonstone, at which point Josie was grateful she could lie. Then she put Josie's watch back on and left with Mason.

All in all, Josie decided today had been a win. Damon and Stefan's secret was safe and Katherine would probably put a stop to any further Mason meddling with the Salvatores.

Crisis averted, Josie thought.

It wasn't until the weekend of the Masquerade Ball that she found out how wrong she really was.


	18. Plan B

All was eerily quiet for a week. Josie's visions, which had been occasional ever since they started the previous fall, had become somewhat more frequent. She figured it was because she was changing more things. But, so far all of them were more annoying than helpful (did she really need to know that Mason and Katherine had a fight after the picnic and then sweaty make-up sex?).

Stefan kept an eye on Damon and reported to Josie that it seemed Damon had no more murderous intentions towards Mason. At least he wasn't going to seek him out and kill him.

Josie managed to corner Mason in the Lockwood kitchen one night she was staying with Tyler and while he said he was angry at her for interfering with his plan to out the Salvatores, he begrudgingly agreed to drop it as long as Damon didn't come after him.

Josie was hoping that was that, but she had learned the hard way not to assume the danger was passed until it was actually in the past. She couldn't remember what had prompted Damon to kill Mason. Had it been him outing the Salvatores to the Sheriff? Or something else?

Meanwhile, Jeremy had become more and more fixated on werewolves, Mason and the moonstone. Jeremy was insistent that they find out all they could about the moonstone. Why did Mason want it, etc. Josie told him to stay out of it, but he didn't listen.

She was upset when she found out that Jeremy went behind her back and talked to Damon and Alaric about it. When the day before the Masquerade Ball came, Damon showed up with Jeremy, and both she and Elena were suspicious.

"No, no, there's no Damon and you. There's Damon and the person Damon's using," Elena was saying. "And those people end up dead."

"What's going on?" asked Josie, walking over. "Why did you come here with Damon, Jer?"

"We're going to find out what Mason knows about the moonstone," said Jeremy.

"Stay away from Mason, Jeremy," said Josie.

"Damon, too," added Elena.

"No," said Jeremy. "Stop treating me like I'm a kid. Both of you. That moonstone has the potential to break the moon curse, making Mason and potentially Tyler even more dangerous to vampires."

Josie sighed, so this was the reason Jeremy was so involved. "Jeremy, they're not going to hurt Anna."

"They can't control anything once they transform," said Jeremy, angrily. "You'd be on my side if you weren't dating a Lockwood. Werewolves are dangerous."

"Jeremy!" said Elena as Jeremy stormed away.

Josie was near to tears. She and Jeremy had become so close. Fighting was a part of having siblings, but that didn't mean what he said didn't hurt.

"He didn't mean it, Jo," said Elena, putting an arm around her. "He's upset we don't involve him when it comes to supernatural stuff." She rolled her eyes and picked up another box of decorations.

Josie nodded and went to find Damon. She found him talking to Stefan.

"That's the beauty of Katherine. She's always up to something," said Damon.

"What's she up to now?" asked Josie, even though she knew exactly what she was up to, and why. "Besides breaking up Elena and Stefan?"

"No, no," said Damon, shaking his head. "You're not in the Bela Lugosi gang anymore. You're on Lon Chaney's side."

"Katherine is with Mason Lockwood. We think she's the one who's trying to get Mason to find the moonstone," said Stefan.

"Stefan!" exclaimed Damon.

"Why would a vampire want to break the moon part of the werewolf curse?" asked Josie, ignoring Damon's outburst.

"What an excellent question," said Damon. "Hence 'she's always up to something'."

"Can you get the moonstone from Tyler?" Stefan asked Josie.

Josie frowned. "How do you know he has it?"

"If you wanted to keep it a secret, maybe you shouldn't have told your big-mouth brother," spat Damon.

Josie narrowed her eyes. Stupid, fucking 'no more secrets' bullshit. At least Elena hadn't said anything.

"Why do you want it?" asked Josie, thinking there was no way they were getting it. She knew it was probably the biggest bargaining chip there was against Klaus.

"Well we definitely don't want Katherine to have it. Which means Mason can't have it," said Damon.

"Tyler isn't going to give it to him. Or anybody," said Josie. "We already talked about it."

"Well I know I'll sleep better at night knowing that punk is protecting the stone," said Damon, sarcastically.

"Believe it or not, Damon, I don't give a shit how you sleep at night. You're not getting the stone. End of story," said Josie.

"Fine, I won't touch your baby werewolf. But I can't say the same for your brother," said Damon.

"That's why you brought him here?" asked Josie. "To try and steal the stone from Tyler? Did you know about this?" she asked Stefan. Though she was pretty sure Jeremy wouldn't get it. On her suggestion, Tyler was keeping it in the safe now, not his pocket.

"No," Stefan said. "But honestly, Josie, I think the stone is safer with us."

"What?" Josie exclaimed.

"We're not exactly sure what it does or why it's important. But clearly it needs to be protected. Don't you think it should go to the people best able to protect it?" asked Stefan, coming to stand in front of Josie. "Try to step back and see this objectively. Pretend Tyler's not your boyfriend for a second."

Josie sighed. Maybe Stefan was right. Of course, she was pretty sure that Katherine had stolen the moonstone from the Salvatore brothers, so it's not like they were great at protecting it.

"Anybody can waltz in to your house without an invitation," said Josie. "Including Katherine."

"Katherine has an invite to your house too," countered Damon. "And the Lockwood's."

"We can protect it," said Stefan. "I promise."

Josie narrowed her eyes, annoyed at their insistence. Still, if Damon hid it in his soap dish again, at least she'd be able to get it when she needed it.

"Let's say I get the moonstone from Tyler," said Josie. "Will you promise not to go after Mason?"

"If we have the moonstone why would we go after Mason?" asked Stefan.

"I don't know," said Josie, shrugging. "Now that you know he's with Katherine and working for or with her. To get information, etc. Tyler won't give me the moonstone to give to you unless you guarantee his safety."

"He's a werewolf," said Damon. "He'll kill me the first chance he gets. Are you going to guarantee my safety?"

"What is it going to take to get you to leave him alone?" asked Josie, exasperated.

"Nothing," Damon shouted, getting in her face. "Mason Lockwood is a dead man." With that, he sped away.

"Josie…" started Stefan.

"Don't. Just don't."

She pulled out her phone and called Tyler. She quickly warned him about what Damon was going to do, that Damon knew about Mason and Katherine, and then told him to get his uncle out of Mystic Falls now. She only hoped Tyler was more successful about convincing Mason than she had been. She knew better than to try and reason with Mason. That had not turned out well.

After she hung up, she realized Stefan was still there.

"Forget about the moonstone," she said, trying to keep her voice even when inside she was furious. "And from now on we're doing things my way. I'm done playing the nice, little innocent Gilbert sister who tries to protect everyone, including your brother. He just crossed the line. You tell him that."

"I'm not sure Damon will be all that scared," said Stefan, sighing.

"He should be," Josie returned, darkly.

She was beyond done. She had tried to save Mason and, possibly, failed. She had failed the mayor, Logan Fell, the Coach, Zach, all those druggies at the cemetery. She was tired of working on the sidelines, trying to manipulate without it looking like she was manipulating.

She didn't care if she had to tell everyone about her visions. Elena was supposed to 'die' soon. Jenna and Uncle John too. Tyler was going to trigger the curse.

She realized how much was at stake for the people she had come to care about. This was no longer a game. 20 points for saving a main character. How could she have thought that once?

"I know he should," said Stefan, finally.

Josie tilted her head, startled out of her thoughts. "What?"

"Everyone else may be oblivious, but I've spent more than a century in the shadows, observing people… You know too much. You noticed I was compelling the admissions lady on the first day of school, but Bonnie didn't? How did you even hear what I was saying from the hallway?

'Then you came to Zach out of everyone in town, looking for vervain. When he's the only one in town that had it. You knew Damon was the one that had killed those people. You never suspected me for a second even though you didn't know anything about me. I have to admit I was suspicious and watched you more closely after that."

Josie was shocked. She didn't say anything. What could she say? What explanation was there?

Stefan continued, "You knew I'd gone off with Amber at the pageant and found me before anyone else did. You went to the hospital to visit Caroline, even though she's not your friend, and miraculously figured out she was a vampire, warning everyone.

Somehow you knew that Mason was planning on outing us to the Council and that the Sheriff had spiked the lemonade, even though I know for a fact that you were in the woods when she did it. Do I need to continue?"

"Please don't," said Josie, rubbing her forehead.

Stefan just looked at her, clearly waiting for an explanation.

"I…" Josie sighed. What was she supposed to say? She decided on a half-truth. "I get visions," she shrugged. "Sometimes they're about the past, sometimes the future. But they're uh, fairly comprehensive."

Stefan looked confused. "So you're a witch?"

Josie shook her head. "No. No powers. Just visions," she said, sitting down on one of the chairs nearby.

"All Seers are witches, though."

"Well, I'm not a witch," said Josie, trying not to get annoyed. "Don't you think Bonnie's grandmother could have sensed it? Plus, you know, I did try a few spells from Emily's Grimoire. Nothing. I have no connection to nature. Just these freaky visions."

Given all the witches she'd visited since she'd arrived, she was 100% sure she was not one of them.

Stefan nodded.

"And these visions aren't the same as Bonnie's. She says hers are like flashes. Images. But these are like dreams. Scenes from a movie." Or a television show, she mentally added. "You… you haven't ever heard of anything like this, have you?"

She bit her lip, hoping Stefan had come across something in his 160 years that would explain was what happening to her. Ever since her visions started, she'd been wondering if there were others out there like her. Maybe from another world, maybe not.

Stefan shook his head. "The only people I've heard of being able to see the future are witches who also possess the Sight. Seers."

Josie sighed, figuring it was probably too much to ask that Stefan had an explanation.

"Have you told anyone about this?" Josie asked, a little afraid of the answer.

"No. I only suspected, until recently. The lemonade incident pretty much sealed it for me."

"Are you going to tell anyone?"

"Not if you don't want me to."

"What about Elena? I know your break-up is fake," she added, rolling her eyes.

Stefan raised on eyebrow. "Of course you do. And no, I won't even tell Elena. But you can't keep this a secret forever. Especially if you're not going to stay on the sidelines anymore."

Josie sighed, that was probably true. Maybe she shouldn't have interfered at all. But why was she here, with her memories of the show intact, aided by these visions, if not to change things? Make them better?

"Maybe not, but this should stay between us," said Josie. "For now. Elena has enough to deal with. I'll tell her when the time is right."

Stefan frowned, but didn't push it. "Do you know why Katherine is in town? What she wants with the moonstone?"

"I think so. Damon got one thing right, though. We can't let her get it."

"That's it?" asked Stefan, frowning. "That's all you're going to tell me?"

"I don't have the whole picture," said Josie, thinking of how she didn't exactly know how and when the Klaus storm got started. "Not yet."

Stefan didn't look too happy.

"If you promise to keep my secret, I promise I'll involve you when I know more. Maybe together we can sort things out? All I want to do is protect the people I care about."

Josie smiled. It actually felt good to have someone know. Like the burden was lifted a little. She wanted to wait until Klaus was closer though before involving Stefan. The more he knew, the more the storyline would be thrown off and the less she'd be able to predict.

"Deal," said Stefan.

With that, Josie departed to go find Tyler and hope that somehow he'd talked Mason into leaving. If not, she supposed she was going to have to storm the Boarding House or something and try and save Mason herself. She knew she was crazy, but she had to try.

She called Tyler as she made her way back to the Lockwood mansion.

"Did you find him?" asked Josie, not bothering to say hello.

"Yes. I told him about Damon, how he knew about him and Katherine and that Damon was going to go after him."

"And what happened?" asked Josie, not daring to breathe.

"He said he wasn't going to run scared from a fucking vampire and took off."

Damn. "Where did he go? "

"I don't know," said Tyler, sighing. "You don't think Damon…" Tyler trailed off.

"Probably not," lied Josie. "I'm tired. I think I'm going to go home."

She felt bad about lying, but she needed to go to the Boarding House and see if Mason was there. She didn't want Tyler involved at all, afraid Damon would go after him if he interfered. As pissed as Damon was with her, she knew he wouldn't hurt her for at least trying. Being Elena's sister did have its perks.

"Do you still have the moonstone?" she asked Tyler, hopeful that Jeremy hadn't succeeded in getting it.

"Yeah. Your brother was asking about it, but I didn't tell him where it is, since we agreed nobody but us would know."

Josie smiled. She thanked him and hung up.

She headed to the Boarding House, fearful of what she'd find. She walked in, stake in her purse, along with a vervain grenade, vervain spray and a vervain syringe, just in case. Maybe she could slow Damon down long enough for Mason to get away.

As she turned the corner to the living room, she saw Jeremy standing there, a horrified look on his face.

Josie stopped. Thankfully, Damon and Jeremy were both too fixated on Mason to notice her presence.

"Now why would a vampire want to lift a curse for a werewolf that keeps them from turning whenever they want?" Damon was asking.

"So I wouldn't have to turn anymore," answered Mason.

"Why?"

"Because she loves me." Josie cringed. Ouch, yeah Katherine so did not love him.

Damon laughed. "Now I get it. You're just stupid. Katherine doesn't love you. She's using you, you moron."

Mason shook his head. "I'm done talking."

"Yes, yes you are," said Damon. "Time to take a walk, Jeremy."

"That's a good idea," said Josie, announcing her presence. "Why don't you both take a walk?"

Damon and Jeremy both looked at her. "You just don't fucking quit, do you?" asked Damon. "This doesn't concern you."

"You killing an innocent person just because of what he is does concern me," Josie shot back.

"He's not innocent. He's a werewolf. It's kill or be killed here. He's going to kill me the first chance he gets."

"Bullshit," said Josie, rolling her eyes. "He's fucking in love with a vampire. He could have bitten her and killed her a billion times and he hasn't. I'm pretty sure he's not harboring murderous intentions towards vampires."

Damon didn't have a reply to that. Jeremy just looked down at his shoes.

"Plus it's in your best interests to not kill him," said Josie, who was now standing beside Damon, looking down at poor Mason.

"And why is that?"

"Because werewolf means pack. And a pack is going to come looking for revenge if you kill him. Or you know, he mysteriously disappears. I can do research too," she added, explaining her knowledge away, hoping he'd buy it.

"She's right," said Mason. "My alpha will seek revenge. It's the code we live by. Plus, Katherine will kill you."

Josie sighed. "Damon was right about that. Katherine doesn't love you. She was just using you to get the moonstone."

"How do you know that?" asked Mason.

Josie ignored his question. "If we prove it to you, will you leave town and never contact Katherine again? Go back to Florida or anywhere else, I guess, never mention any of this, the moonstone, the freaky torture scene, etc to anyone?" She held up her hand to Damon to silence him. "Just let him answer."

Mason looked hard at her, then Damon. "Katherine loves me," he insisted. "But if you're right, then I'll leave. I'm only here for her."

"Damon, please," she said. "Think about it. Dozens of werewolves coming down on you. One measly little bite will do you in. It's not worth it."

Damon was silent, which Josie took as a good sign. She could tell he believed her about the pack issue. If nothing else, it appealed to his self-preservation.

"Come on, please," she said, when the silence became too long. "What can I do?"

Damon just looked at her. Then finally, he tilted his head and smirked, "Take off your vervain."

"Josie, no," said Jeremy quickly.

Breathing deep, Josie took off her watch. She tried to clear her mind and prepare to fake being compelled.

"Stay out of this, Jeremy," she said, looking at Damon.

"Do you miss fucking me?" asked Damon, compelling her.

"Yes," she answered in a monotone, figuring that's what he wanted her to say. It wasn't exactly a lie, either.

Damon smiled.

"Who's better in bed, me or Tyler?"

"You are," said Josie, still answering with what he wanted to hear. She wasn't going to contemplate whether or not that was the truth. She just turned off her mind and said whatever came first.

"Have you ever thought about me while fucking him?"

"Yes."

This was so humiliating. But if it saved Mason's life, so be it.

"Damon, stop!" said Jeremy, trying to intervene. Damon just pushed him aside.

"It's fine, Jeremy," said Josie. "Stay out of this."

"Tell me about your favorite time we were together."

"When you found out that Katherine wasn't in the tomb."

"Why is that?"

"I liked how you held me down and ripped my clothes off."

"Mmm… You do like it rough," smirked Damon.

"Come on, man," said Mason, shaking his head. Damon looked down at him darkly.

"If you weren't with Tyler, would you stay the night with me?"

"Yes."

"Would you let Tyler and I fuck you at the same time?"

"Damon!" screamed Jeremy, covering his ears.

"No."

Damon seemed to have had enough, though he was disappointed by her last answer.

"Do you really believe that Mason won't kill me?"

"Yes."

"What about Tyler?"

"He won't either."

Damon was silent for a moment. "Alright. Go get your watch."

Josie grabbed her watch and tried to keep from tearing up. That had been the most humiliating experience of her life. She hated Damon. Hated him!

Jeremy came up behind her and pulled her into a hug. She held him for a moment, until Damon grabbed Mason's phone.

Josie steeled herself and went back to stand beside Damon. This wasn't over, but for now, she had to make sure it had been worth it.

"You're going to tell her he's dead, I'm assuming," said Josie, not able to look Damon in the face.

Damon nodded.

"Put it on speaker," she said as it rang.

Josie watched poor Mason's face as Damon taunted Katherine with his death. How unaffected by it she was. And how she ended the call with a "Give my love to Stefan."

"Sorry, wolf boy," said Damon, breaking Mason's phone in half. "Better luck with a she-wolf next time? Oh, and if I ever see your face again, I'll rip your heart out." With that, he left the room.

Mason looked crestfallen as Josie and Jeremy began undoing his restraints and helped him up.

Once he was free, he turned to Josie. "Thank you. I can't believe you did that for me."

Josie smiled. "You didn't deserve to die, Mason. I'm just glad it worked."

"Tyler is lucky to have a girl like you."

"Yeah… please don't tell Tyler about what happened here," she said, biting her lip. "We don't want him going after Damon."

Mason just nodded, wanting to protect his nephew.

Jeremy and Josie helped him to Jeremy's car. Jeremy seemed content that Mason had agreed to leave town and would no longer be a threat to Anna.

Jeremy shut the passenger side door on Mason and turned to Josie.

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier, Jo. I love Anna, but we took it too far."

"I understand, Jer," said Josie. "Just remember this is how Damon deals with problems. You have to be careful with him."

They hugged again and Jeremy climbed in the car.

Josie watched them pull away and went back into the Boarding House. She was sick of Damon and his hostility towards her. They had bigger things to deal with. Plus, she was a little hurt. She'd considered him a friend once upon a time.

She found him in the kitchen, drinking a glass of blood.

"Thought you'd be helping wolf boy pack," he said, not looking at her.

"Mason's with Jeremy," she said, leaning against the table. "You and I need to talk."

"I'm not in the mood," said Damon, still looking at the paper he'd been perusing.

"I've had enough of your moods, Damon. I want to know what your problem is."

"There's no problem."

"You're lying. You'd already decided to let Mason go. Why compel me like that? I thought we were friends."

Damon looked at her with disgust. "That was before you decided to side with the werewolves."

"I'm on your side, Damon," she said, exasperated. "I stopped Mason from exposing you to the Sheriff. But I'm not going to stand by and watch innocent people die. I've made that perfectly clear."

"Mason was hardly innocent," said Damon, rolling his eyes.

Josie scoffed. "Can you hear the deafening irony in that statement?"

"Because I'm a vampire I don't get to judge?"

"You don't get to judge because you're a murderous vampire who only stopped killing people for selfish reasons."

"Who says I stopped?"

"I do," said Josie. "So does Elena."

"Leave her out of this."

"No, Damon. I know you think I'm Team Wolf right now, but I'm just trying to keep everyone safe. Including Elena. Katherine is after the moonstone for a reason. We have to work together. Trust each other."

Damon narrowed his eyes at her. "Do you trust me?" he asked, coming to stand in front of her. She could see the genuine question in his eyes.

"I trust you'll do whatever it takes to keep Elena safe," said Josie, honestly. "Do you trust me?"

Damon looked at her for a minute before giving an answer. "Yes."

Josie smiled, pushing the pit of guilt down with all the secrets she'd been keeping.

"Good." She slapped him across the face as hard as she could. "That's for humiliating me."

He rubbed his jaw and looked at her darkly. "Feel better?"

"Much," she said, smiling. "Have a good night, Damon."

Later, Tyler told Josie that Mason had made his goodbyes to both him and Carol and took off without another word.

When Josie came home, Jenna and Alaric were making dinner. Josie was setting the table when Jenna got a call from someone. Josie started to get dejavu. There was something oddly familiar about this.

When Jenna handed the phone to Elena and she realized she was talking to Katherine, Josie gasped. Jenna was about to stab herself. Without thinking, Josie went to Jenna and took the knife away, saying she could cut the bread. When Jenna went to get another knife, Josie yelled for Alaric.

He rushed over and together they managed to wrestle the knife away from Jenna, but not before she gave herself a gash on the arm and had grazed Alaric's chest. Nowhere near the almost-fatal accident that Jenna had in the show, but enough to scare everyone. Enough to get Elena to break up with Stefan.

Stefan called Josie that night, distraught, wanting to know if they would get past this. Had Katherine won forever? Josie assured him that he and Elena would get another chance and that Katherine wouldn't keep them apart forever. Josie kept her thoughts about their compatibility to herself.

The next day, Josie was on her way to the Grill to pick up breakfast for everyone when someone grabbed her from behind. Her vision blurred and she felt the gush of air consistent with traveling at vampire speed.

When the world stopped spinning, she was sitting in a car with her hands tied and her mouth gagged. The driver ignored her and all her escape attempts proved futile.

It was 15 minutes later that they arrived at a hotel on the outskirts of Mystic Falls. Josie was dragged up a back staircase and into a room. She was thrown unceremoniously into a chair and by the time she'd righted herself, she recoiled in fear. There, looming above her, was the smug face of Katherine Pierce.

"Hi Josie," she said, removing the gag. "I think it's time that you and I had a little chat about my moonstone."

"I don't…." Josie started to say. But Katherine interrupted her.

"You're good, I'll give you that," said Katherine. "You think I wouldn't notice I couldn't compel you? That you were lying when I asked you about the moonstone? I didn't kill you that day because of Mason. He promised me he'd get me the moonstone. Now he's dead, I have no more leads, and I'm getting impatient."

Josie gasped at Katherine's words. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. What had she done?


	19. Masquerade

Katherine's words were frightening, her threats even more so. She clearly knew there was something 'more' to Josie, but thankfully her focus was the moonstone. So Josie managed to escape Katherine's grasp (at least for the moment) by promising to deliver the stone that night at the Masquerade Ball, just like in the show.

Josie just hoped it all went down the same way, with Katherine in the tomb at the end of the night. She was getting less and less trusting of things remaining the same. And she knew there'd be consequences to Katherine's off-script actions. She just wasn't sure what those consequences would be.

All the same, Josie headed over to the Boarding House. She told Damon and Stefan what Katherine wanted and what she had threatened. Damon managed to be civil to Josie, which she appreciated.

When the brothers talked about killing Katherine, Josie just stayed silent, knowing they wouldn't really do it. She couldn't remember exactly what role Katherine had played both now and in later seasons, so it was just too risky to kill her right now.

Soon, Jeremy, Alaric, Anna, Caroline and Bonnie had joined them. Anna said her mother was done with Katherine and wanted nothing to do with anything concerning her. That was disappointing as Pearl would have been a powerful ally, but certainly understandable.

When Stefan specifically asked for Josie's input on the plan they were developing, she said it seemed fine, not adding anything. The Scoobies had won in the end, after all. Thankfully, Stefan accepted her answer without question and didn't push for more information.

That night, Josie was at the Masquerade Ball, dancing with Tyler and looking out for Katherine. All under the watchful eye of the Salvatores, of course. Despite that, Tyler, who was aware of the 'Katherine plan' (since he'd agreed to give the Scoobies the moonstone for the night), refused to leave Josie's side. They knew Katherine was likely to approach her, just as she had that morning.

Tyler nudged her and they saw Katherine walking down the stairs. Josie looked at Stefan and Damon and the next thing she knew, Katherine was in front of her. Damon and Stefan followed suit quickly.

Josie gasped.

"Oh, did I scare you?" asked Katherine with mock concern. "You think you'd be less jumpy. You're quite the vampire groupie, I've heard. Or maybe that was your sister?"

"Enough, Katherine," said Stefan, stepping in between Josie and Katherine.

"You look dashing tonight," said Katherine, reaching out to touch Stefan. He batted her hand away. She looked annoyed. "Dance with me."

"No," said Stefan.

"Then tell me who I have to kill," threatened Katherine.

Stefan sighed and led her onto the dance floor. When Amy came over to them, looking for Matt, Josie remembered that Katherine had killed her. Josie raced over to them and placed herself next to Amy.

"You look gorge," Amy was saying to Katherine, mistaking her for Elena.

"You do too, Amy," said Josie. "I saw Matt go into the house. He was looking for you too. You should go find him." She tried to push Amy away, hoping Katherine would just let her go.

"Don't go," said Katherine, stepping forward. "That's a beautiful necklace."

"Leave her alone," said Josie. "We'll get you the moonstone. You don't have to hurt anyone."

"If don't have the moonstone in my hand soon, people are going to start dying. Maybe I'll start with boyfriend Tyler. Or brother Jeremy. Tick, tock." With that she sauntered away.

Josie texted Jeremy to let him know that it was his turn to talk to Katherine about the fake 'out by the lake' exchange with Damon and Stefan. Then, it was Caroline, who successfully lured Katherine into the room with Bonnie's trap.

Josie went to find Bonnie and Jeremy and wasn't surprised to find Elena there, crashing the ball, having found out about the Katherine plan from Alaric. Jeremy was just explaining to Elena the specifics of the plan when Josie felt something on her back.

"Ah!" she screamed, reaching for her back. "Oh my god. Ah!" Then it happened again on her arm. "Shit, ow!" Katherine must have linked herself to Josie instead of Elena.

Jeremy and Tyler grabbed her.

"What's going on?" asked Tyler.

"It's Katherine," said Bonnie. "She's linked to Katherine! Get them to stop now."

Tyler raced away from them, while Josie just tried to breathe. It wasn't real. It wasn't real, she kept repeating to herself.

Bonnie offered to help with the pain, for which Josie was grateful. Tyler must have made it to the room and gotten Damon and Stefan to stop though, because no new wounds appeared.

The rest of the evening proceeded how it did in the show, with Bonnie giving the moonstone over to Katherine's witch, Lucy, who then betrayed Katherine.

Afterwards, Josie was healing, but she was determined to go and retrieve the moonstone. She wanted to make sure the Salvatores didn't run off with it.

"Are you okay?" asked Stefan, with a concerned look when she entered the upstairs room with Tyler.

"I'm fine," said Josie. "Bonnie took the pain away and I'm healing."

"You should see a doctor anyway," said Stefan.

Josie nodded.

"I'll take her," said Tyler. "We're here for the stone. It doesn't need protection anymore with Katherine gone. It's been in my family for generations."

Stefan and Damon didn't look too happy, but they seemed more concerned over their plan for Katherine.

"What are you going to do with Katherine? Kill her?" asked Josie.

"We had an idea about that," Damon said, smiling. Josie knew. Katherine was going in the tomb.

"Well, if I'm going to see a doctor, we should go," said Josie. Tyler grabbed her hand and they walked out.

It wasn't until they got into the car that Tyler broke his stony silence.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as they pulled out of the Lockwood's driveway.

"I'm fine," said Josie. "I don't know that I need to see a doctor." She examined the wound on her arm that was pretty much healed.

"We're going," said Tyler, gruffly. He shook his head.

"What's wrong?" asked Josie, wondering why he was so moody.

"I should never have agreed to that insane plan."

"I'm fine, honey," she said, putting her hand on his thigh as he drove. "Really."

He surprised her by pulling over.

"You could have been killed, Josie. I was scared I was going to lose you. I…" Tyler sighed.

Josie grabbed him and kissed him. She pulled back and looked at him. This guy who had made her feel whole again, somehow. A little less out of place in this strange world. "I love you," she said, the words tumbling out of her. "I love you and I'm sorry I scared you."

Tyler smiled. "I love you too." They continued kissing on the side of the road until Tyler pulled away.

"Don't think this is going to get you out of going to the doctor," he said, resuming driving.

Josie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine."

Tyler drove her to the clinic, where they gave her some bandages and pain pills. Then he dropped her off at home, saying she needed rest.

She was just getting ready for bed when she heard slight 'whoosh' in the direction of her window. Turning around, she saw Katherine Pierce sitting on her bed.

"Katherine!" exclaimed Josie, surprised by her sudden appearance. "You shouldn't be here."

"Probably not," said Katherine, crossing her legs. "I just couldn't resist congratulating you on such a well-executed plan."

Josie raised her eyebrow. "So… you think they bought it then?"

Katherine smirked. "Of course they did."

12 Hours Earlier

 _"You're good, I'll give you that," said Katherine, leaning over Josie who was tied to the chair in her hotel room. "You think I wouldn't notice I couldn't compel you? That you were lying when I asked you about the moonstone? I didn't kill you that day because of Mason. He promised me he'd get me the moonstone. Now he's dead, I have no more leads, and I'm getting impatient."_

 _Josie just stayed silent._

 _"I thought so," said Katherine. She picked up her phone and called someone. "Bring him in."_

 _Josie was horrified to see Jeremy walk in the door, next to an old woman. She had the blank look of someone who'd been compelled. Jeremy's face was fearful, but clearly he'd been compelled not to run. Josie noticed that Jeremy didn't have his vervain bracelet or his Gilbert Ring._

 _"Jeremy, oh my god, are you okay?" asked Josie, struggling against her restraints to go to him._

 _"I'm fine," he said. "I can't leave, she compelled me. And she took my ring."_

 _"It's no fun if you just come back," smirked Katherine. "Now, where were we? Oh, yes. Where is the moonstone, Josie?" asked Katherine, pushing the knife into Jeremy's skin, though not enough for him to bleed._

 _"Josie, no!" said Jeremy. "Don't tell her."_

 _"So brave…" mocked Katherine. "Don't speak until I tell you to," she compelled._

 _She pushed the knife into his neck and drew just a bit of blood._

 _"Stop! Katherine, just stop! Don't do this. We'll find another way." Katherine paused, clearly confused by her words. She couldn't give the moonstone to Katherine who was just going to hand it, plus Elena, Tyler and Caroline over to Klaus. Fixated on the knife pressed to Jeremy's throat, Josie made a quick decision to take a very large risk._

 _"I can help you," said Josie. "If we work together, we can stop him. Stop Klaus."_

 _Katherine's mouth hung open for a second before she quickly closed it. "How do you know about Klaus?"_

 _"It doesn't matter," said Josie. "I know you've been running from him for the past 500 years. I know you want to hand Elena and the moonstone over to him in exchange for your freedom. But if we work together, we can stop him."_

 _Josie forced herself to look away from the shock on Jeremy's face. She just couldn't face him right now. Instead, she focused on Katherine._

 _"If you know who Klaus is, then you know there's no stopping him," said Katherine._

 _"There is," said Josie. "There's a spell to stop his heart. You can't kill him, I know. But it'll desiccate him. And we can bury him forever. We'll all be safe. You too."_

 _"How do you know all this?" asked Katherine, clearly suspicious._

 _Josie hesitated._

 _"How?" growled Katherine, pushing the knife deeper into Jeremy's skin._

 _"I get visions!" Josie practically screamed, as she watched the blood pour from Jeremy. "And I've spoken to Lexi. Stefan's friend. I'm telling the truth. Please, we can stop him together."_

 _"Hmm… I like my way better," said Katherine, pushing the knife in deeper._

 _"Stop, or it'll be the moonstone in the ocean," said Josie, desperately. "Tell me, what do you think he'll do to you if he finds you without it? After you stole it? Come on, Katherine. Do you really think he's going to forgive you? Show you mercy? Even if you give him back the stone and hand over Elena, he's going to punish you for years. I've seen it. Over and over. Unbearable torment. This is your only hope. Help me stop him or you can keep running forever."_

 _Josie really hoped she sounded believable. Her only hope was to pray on Katherine's fears of Klaus. It was mostly true, anyway. Klaus had shown Katherine no mercy on the show._

 _Katherine narrowed her eyes, but Josie could tell she was thinking over her words. Josie could scarcely breathe._

 _Finally, Katherine took the knife away from Jeremy's throat and Josie breathed a sigh of relief._

 _"Damon and Stefan will never believe that I'm on their side," said Katherine._

 _"I know," said Josie, frowning. "I hate to say it, but I don't think we should let them know. Not yet. We need to find Klaus and we need to do it quietly. Do you?"_

 _Katherine shook her head. "I don't know where he is. Nobody does. He's been in hiding for so long. I think we can find him though. Isobel can help."_

 _"Good," said Josie. "Now, my brother."_

 _Katherine fed Jeremy a bit of her blood to heal the cut she'd made and then compelled him to forget everything he had seen as soon as he left._

 _In the end, they agreed that Katherine would look for Klaus and Josie would keep the moonstone in Mystic Falls. Katherine wouldn't hurt any of Josie's family and friends, wouldn't trigger Tyler's curse, and Josie would work on getting the Grimoire with the desiccation spell._

Present Time

"Wouldn't it have just been easier to leave town?" asked Josie, shaking her head. She hadn't like participating in the charade. It made her deception seem more… deceitful. "It won't take long for Damon and Stefan to realize you got your witch to lower the tomb seal."

"Where's the fun in that?" smirked Katherine. "Doesn't hurt to remind them who they're dealing with."

Josie just rolled her eyes. "Thank your witch for the quick heal," she said. "And for making good on her promise of no pain. It was just a slight itch. I ruined my dress though," she frowned.

"I'll try to remember your sacrifice when I go hunting for the man who's trying to torture me for eternity," said Katherine, pursing her lips.

Touché. "Here," said Josie, handing Katherine a small bag of vervain. "Just in case. Make sure Isobel takes it too." Josie remembered how Isobel had been compelled by Klaus. "That should last you until you can get more on your own."

Katherine turned to go.

"Remember our deal," said Josie, seriously. "No one else I love gets hurt. If you try to betray me or sell me out to Klaus, I drop the moonstone in the Atlantic."

"I'm not going to risk an eternity of torture," said Katherine, just as serious. "I'll be in touch." Then disappeared through the window.

Josie flopped down on her bed. She hoped she'd made the right decision. Katherine and Isobel were probably her only hope of finding Klaus before he came to Mystic Falls. Once he was in town, she didn't know if they'd be able to prevent the sacrifice from happening.

Isobel, at least, had only betrayed Elena under compulsion. Josie thought she'd convinced Katherine that negotiating with Klaus wasn't an option. Only time would tell.

Josie tried not to think of what the others would say if and when they'd found out what she'd done. She'd only done it to protect them, after all. Still, she was keeping more secrets than ever. She wondered how long she could keep this up.


	20. Rose

Josie woke up the day after the Masquerade with a headache. The dark-haired woman in the suit had been haunting her dreams again. She was brushing her teeth when she felt the telltale spark of a vision.

She saw a scene before her. It was Mason, his face anguished, kneeling on the ground, in a ring of fire. He was being sacrificed as the werewolf to break Klaus' curse.

"Imagine," Klaus was saying, "One of my assets informs me about a delightful pack of Florida werewolves. I could have my pick of the bunch, of course, but there's something poetic about the descendant of the man who helped Katerina escape all those years ago and who, until recently, was Katerina's lover."

Josie gripped the sink and tried to steady herself. Though she'd been getting more visions, it still unnerved her every time. Not just that her mind was being invaded, but a reminder of what was to come. Apparently, saving Mason from Damon had only driven him into Klaus' grasp.

She wondered if this meant Katherine and Isobel would fail. Who knew? She felt like she was playing whack-a-mole with all these possible futures.

She blinked, trying to get the image of Mason in agony out of her head. And… Klaus. It had been a while since she'd seen his face. Since she was in her world. She'd forgotten how handsome he was.

An hour later, Josie was standing at her locker when Jeremy and Stefan came up to her.

"Have you heard from Elena?" Jeremy asked. "She didn't come home last night, her car is still at Tyler's and she wasn't at Stefan's."

Oh god. Elena had been taken by Rose and Trevor. So soon? Josie thought that was a while away. And… Elijah. They were about to contact Elijah, if they hadn't already. So here it was. The oncoming Klaus storm. She forced herself to remain calm.

"I haven't heard from her," said Josie, shaking her head. "Not since I saw her last night at the ball."

Stefan picked up his phone and called Damon. They made plans to meet outside the school in ten minutes.

"You two should get to class," said Stefan. "I'll call you if I hear anything. Don't worry, we'll find her."

Josie and Jeremy nodded. Josie said she needed to go to the bathroom before class started, but ducked around the corner and went to find Stefan outside.

"How did I know you weren't going to class?" he asked, looking out for Damon's car. "Did you have a vision? Do you know where Elena is?"

"No," admitted Josie. "But I know she's been kidnapped. And it wasn't Katherine or any of her minions."

"Who was it?"

Josie started to respond, but spotted Damon's car and decided to wait.

When Damon arrived, Stefan filled him in. "You don't think Katherine?" started Damon.

"No," said Josie.

"She may be in the tomb, but that doesn't mean she didn't have a Plan F or whatever," said Damon.

Josie pushed back her guilt at the fact that Katherine was definitely not in the tomb. Soon, she told herself. She would tell them all soon. About everything.

"What does it matter if it was her or not?" asked Josie. "We just have to find Elena."

"How?" asked Damon.

Josie smiled. "I bet Bonnie knows how."

So, they found themselves in a classroom ten minutes later. Damon, Bonnie, Stefan, Jeremy, Anna, and Josie. Bonnie performed the locator spell and Jeremy offered to get a more exact location via satellite images. Stefan rebuffed his attempts to come and help, telling Jeremy and Bonnie they should go back to his house.

Anna offered to back up Stefan and Damon, figuring three vampires were better than two. Josie smiled, happy for the millionth time that she had saved Anna. Of course, none of it mattered since they couldn't kill Elijah, but still, couldn't hurt.

Josie followed the three vampires out to the parking lot. "I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not," said Damon.

"Stefan, please," she said.

Ever since she'd sent Katherine off to find Klaus, she'd been thinking about trying to make a deal with Elijah. If she could deliver his family, or at least tell him where Klaus was keeping them, Elijah would probably help her with Klaus. Plus, she wanted to make sure Elena was okay.

Stefan looked hard at her. "She can come."

"What?" exclaimed Anna and Damon.

"She's a measly human," said Damon.

"If you didn't let Jeremy come, why are you letting her?" asked Anna.

"She's just going to follow us in her own car," said Stefan, shaking his head. "This way, she's safe."

Josie smiled. "Thanks, Stefan," she said, climbing in the back with Anna.

"Whatever," said Damon, rolling his eyes. "I'm driving."

About an hour after they left, Stefan got a message from Jeremy leading them to the house. Stefan and Anna were inspecting the weapons, postulating on what they would find when they got there as Damon drove. Stefan and Damon together had taken down Elijah. Josie was sure with Anna added to the mix, it only increased their chances.

Stefan kept dropping hints/comments/etc to try and get Josie to tell him who or what had Elena. Damon finally hit the nail on the head when he suggested that whoever took Elena may have mistaken her for Katherine.

"Whoever that was, Katherine was scared of them," said Stefan, looking in the back at Josie.

"Katherine never told my mom and I who she was running from," said Anna, looking annoyed. She wasn't like her mother, who had decided to stay out of anything having to do with Katherine and the Scoobies, but she hated Katherine. "We thought maybe it was a vampire hunter who she'd pissed off."

"A vampire hunter?" asked Damon. "I doubt Katherine would be scared of a vampire hunter."

"You don't know Mikael," Anna said darkly. "But he's… not around anymore. He didn't take Elena."

Their conversation was cut off as they pulled up to the field behind the old, crumbling house. Josie stood outside the front door and listened as Damon, Anna and Stefan took down Elijah.

When nobody was looking, she slipped a note into Elijah's front pocket. Basically, apologizing for her friends' behavior, saying she had the moonstone and wanted to negotiate for the safety of her friends.

Of course the big carrot with Elijah was his family, but she wanted to save that for when they made a deal. She knew going to him was slightly risky, though he was probably a safer bet than Katherine. Elijah was noble and he wanted Klaus dead as much as anyone. At least at the moment.

Josie had gone through a million scenarios in her mind about how to handle Klaus and none of them ended well. At least not better than in the show. She needed help if she was going to stop him and none of the Scooby gang had the resources or the intimate knowledge of Klaus that Elijah had. Together with Katherine, she was hoping they could prevent him from coming to Mystic Falls altogether. Or at least stop the ritual.

Her vision of Mason being sacrificed had scared her. Clearly, she hadn't changed enough to stop the ritual from happening. At least not yet.

Plus, if Elijah became a liability, there was always the white oak dagger that Uncle John had.

On the way home, Elena filled them in on everything she had learned. About the Originals, the moonstone, how she was the key to breaking the Sun and the Moon curse. How Elijah had brutally killed Trevor without blinking. How Elijah wanted to take her away.

Later that night, Josie got a phone call from an unknown number. She left Tyler, Jenna and Alaric in the living room (they were all watching a movie) and went outside on the porch.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hello, this is Elijah. I have your note here. Am I speaking to Josie?"

Josie forced herself to remain calm. She could do this.

"Yes," she said. "I'm assuming you're calling me because you're interested in what I'm offering?"

"Perhaps… I know that you have access to the moonstone. And I know you're the doppelganger's sister. She told me as much."

"That's why she lost her vervain necklace," said Josie, who had forgotten that detail. "You compelled her."

"She did not wish to be sacrificed, and so tried to entice me with the moonstone. She very much regretted it when I compelled the information out of her. She begged me to not go after you and your boyfriend."

That was Elena. Always the fucking martyr.

"I've heard you're a man of honor, Elijah. You want the moonstone and I want my family safe. I think there is a way for both of us to get what we want."

"Quite the family of negotiators." It almost sounded like he was amused.

"I would prefer to negotiate in person," said Josie, ignoring his tone. "There's a café in Lynchburg, Virginia called 'The Tipping Pot'."

"When?"

She already had worked out what she was going to say. There was no use prolonging this, even if it meant she had to skip school.

"Tomorrow. 9am."

"See you then," he said, hanging up.

Josie took a deep breath. The Originals are here, she thought, wondering what Klaus was up to at the moment. Wondering where Elijah was. Wondering if she was making the right move in going to him preemptively. She knew the more she strayed from the path of the show, the more she couldn't predict, even with visions. She just didn't see another way.

She shook her head. First a deal with Damon, then Katherine, and now Elijah. She felt like a damn vampire whisperer.

"Elijah?" came a voice from behind her, shaking her out of her thoughts. "Is there something you want to share, Josie?"


	21. Katerina

"Stefan!" Josie exclaimed, whirling around. "What are you doing here?"

"Rose, the woman who captured Elena, is at our house. She said an Original named Klaus is coming for Elena. I'm checking up on her. Were you talking to Elijah? Isn't he dead?"

"Well, he is a vampire, Stefan," said Josie with a slight smile.

"What's going on?" he asked, not amused by her little joke. "Why isn't he dead? Why were you talking to him?"

"I promise I will explain everything. You have to trust me. I'm doing this to protect Elena. Protect all of us. There's a lot you don't know."

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "So tell me."

"Elijah is an Original. Originals can't be killed with a stake. Or fire or decapitation or any of the usual ways. But even if there were a way to kill him, we don't want to. He may be an Original, but he's actually Klaus' enemy. He wants to kill Klaus. He can help us protect Elena. And everyone else. I've seen it."

"Why didn't you tell me? Why did we have to rescue Elena if he can help?"

"It was important for Elijah to realize we're not just going roll over for him. So we can negotiate from a position of strength."

She may have read some books and internet articles on negotiation after her deal with Damon. She wasn't a vampire, so her powers of persuasion were entirely human. And unfortunately, there was a lot riding on her ability to persuade.

"Plus, I knew you would win and Elena would be fine."

"What are you planning to negotiate with? The moonstone?"

"Something like that." She started to say more, but was interrupted by the front door opening.

"Josie?" Tyler was standing there. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," said Josie. "I'll see you tomorrow, Stefan." She walked through the front door. "Aren't you coming, Tyler?"

"I want to talk to Stefan for a minute."

Josie frowned, but went in. The twinge of guilt she felt didn't stop her from leaving the front door open a crack so she could hear what Tyler and Stefan were saying.

"What's up, Tyler?" asked Stefan.

"I heard about what happened today. I'm glad Elena's okay."

"We all are."

"But I would appreciate it if you would stop involving my girlfriend in dangerous situations."

"I didn't ask her to come," said Stefan, defensively.

"It's not just today," Tyler continued. "You dragged her into the woods to confront Mason when he was a wolf. She was in the middle of your plan to put down your vampire ex-girlfriend at the Masquerade. She's going to get killed."

"I'll always protect her. But if you have a problem with your girlfriend being involved in dangerous situations, maybe you picked the wrong girlfriend. Josie involves herself."

Tyler sighed. "I know, dude. I'm just… I worry about her. I love her."

"I'll do my best. That's all I can say."

Josie bit her lip, realizing the awkward position Stefan was in, knowing her secret.

"Thanks, man," said Tyler.

Realizing they were wrapping up the conversation, Josie ran to the bathroom and pretended to be just coming out when Tyler came in from the front porch.

"Hey, you," said Josie, wrapping her arms around him. "What did you need to talk to Stefan about?" She obviously didn't want to admit to her eavesdropping.

"Just school stuff," he said, kissing her. "Ready to finish the movie?"

Josie nodded and they went back into the living room to join Alaric and Jenna.

She was just drifting off to sleep when she got a text from Katherine, saying she'd met up with Isobel and they'd officially begun the Klaus hunt.

The next morning, she went with Elena to the Boarding House. As she knew, Rose was already there.

Josie just listened while Rose, Stefan and Damon filled them in on the 'myth' that was Klaus and how he was after Elena. Stefan played it cool, not letting on any information Josie had told him during their brief chat the night before.

"Klaus is real," said Rose. "And he doesn't give up. If he wants something, he gets it. If you're not afraid of Klaus, you're an idiot."

"All right, we're shaking," said Damon. "You've made your point."

Rose shook her head. "You don't understand. My family was long dead when I betrayed him. But what he did to Katerina Petrova's family is legend."

"What did he do to Katherine's family?" Elena asked, frowning.

"He… slaughtered them," said Rose, hesitantly. "And not just her family. Her friends. Her parents' friends. He made an example of them."

Elena looked scared.

"It's going to be okay," said Stefan. "Even if it's true. We'll protect you."

"We'll find a way," agreed Josie, with a lot more confidence than she felt.

Stefan offered to drive them to school, but Elena declined. Josie agreed, since they were going to meet Elijah. Stefan had sent her a curt text the previous night to the effect of 'I'm coming tomorrow. No arguments.' Josie didn't mind. It was nice having one person she didn't have to keep (too many) secrets from.

Stefan was tense as he and Josie pulled away from the Boarding House.

"Do you know if it's true?" he asked.

"About Katherine's family? Yeah, it's true. Running isn't an option."

"So we stay and fight. With Elijah's help?"

"Yes."

"So what's the plan, Josie? How do we kill Klaus?"

"We can't." Because killing him means killing you, she added silently. She wasn't ready to divulge the bloodline issue yet. "But, there is another way to deal with Original vampires. We'll need help, though. Elijah is powerful and he has a lot of resources. Plus, there may be a way for Elena to survive the sacrifice through magic, if it comes to that. Ideally we'll have multiple plans."

Stefan nodded. "Once we talk to Elijah, we're telling Elena the truth. This is her life, Josie. She deserves to know."

Josie agreed. She'd been thinking the same thing. She was tired of lying. She'd been lying for more than six months. At least if everyone knew about her visions, she wouldn't have to keep so many secrets. She just hoped they wouldn't hate her forever.

They arrived at the Tipping Pot ten minutes early and grabbed a table in the corner. Oddly, they were the only customers in there. At precisely 9 a.m., Elijah came through the door. She and Stefan got up to greet him.

He flashed over to them and Stefan put a protective arm on Josie.

"He's not here to fight," said Josie quickly, remembering the last time they'd met, Stefan had helped Damon stake Elijah. "He was just trying to rescue his girlfriend from being kidnapped. I'm sure you can understand."

"We're here to talk," said Stefan, emphasizing Josie's point.

"Then let's talk," said Elijah, taking a seat.

"Right," said Josie, trying for a disarming smile. "I'm Josie, obviously," she said, awkwardly "This is Stefan Salvatore."

Elijah just smiled tightly and called the waiter over. Josie was only slightly surprised the 'waiter' was Jonas Martin. They all ordered breakfast.

"I hope you understand the need for privacy," said Elijah, as Jonas moved away. Clearly the empty café was his doing.

"Of course," said Josie, nodding. "So… We're here to bargain for my sister's life. And the lives of all the people we care about in Mystic Falls."

"And in return you're offering the moonstone?" asked Elijah.

"If you can guarantee our safety, you can have it," she said. "But the only use for the moonstone is to break the curse and that requires that Elena dies. So, that doesn't work for us."

"What if I told you there may be a way to save her from dying during the ritual?" asked Elijah.

"How?" Stefan asked.

"There is an elixir. I originally had it made for Katerina," answered Elijah. "It has magical properties of resuscitation."

"It is a guarantee?" asked Stefan.

Elijah shook his head. "No, but it gives her a chance."

"Out of the question," said Stefan, sharply. "No, we kill Klaus before he does the ritual."

"Klaus cannot be killed prior to the ritual," said Elijah.

"We don't need to kill him," said Josie, hastily. "Just incapacitate him. Trap him. And then he can take a trip to one of those deep ocean trenches you see on the Discovery Channel."

Elijah frowned. "How do you propose we do that?"

"There's a spell. It stops a vampire's heart. Desiccates him, essentially," said Josie.

"That may not work on an Original," said Elijah.

"It'll work," said Josie, firmly.

Elijah looked at her suspiciously. "How can you be so sure?"

Josie decided to be honest. She was pretty sure she wasn't going to escape this meeting without her visions coming up anyway. How else could she explain everything she knew?

"Why don't you ask your warlock over there?" she said, casually, tilting her head toward Jonas.

Elijah's response was immediate. In a flash, he grabbed Josie by her shoulders and pushed her against the wall, one hand encircling her neck. Stefan was in a similar predicament, except it was Jonas who was holding him back, with magic.

"How do you know all this?" asked Elijah. "Who are you?"

"I told you," she said, trying to keep the quiver out of her voice. "I'm Josie Gilbert."

"Leave her alone," called Stefan, struggling against the invisible force of Jonas' magic.

Elijah bent down and sniffed her. Then he grabbed her wrist and yanked her vervain watch off.

"How do you know Jonas is a warlock?" he compelled.

Josie bit back a sarcastic remark. Elijah may be the sanest Original sibling, but she didn't want to tempt fate. So she didn't say anything.

Elijah sniffed her again, looked her in the eye and tried again. Josie just stayed silent.

Elijah looked confused. "You don't smell like a witch. What do you think?" he asked Jonas, who had come to stand beside him.

"She's not a witch," he confirmed.

"Why can't I compel you?"

"I don't know," said Josie, honestly. "I have some sort of natural immunity. But if you quit manhandling me, I'll explain."

Elijah released her and indicated for Jonas to do the same to Stefan. They all went back to the table, this time with Jonas joining them.

"Okay," said Josie, wetting her lips. "The truth is that I… have visions. They're like dreams. I know a lot about you, Elijah. And your family. Your history with Klaus."

"Please do elaborate," said Elijah, his face still impassive.

Josie gave a small smile. Well, he asked…

"I know that you are over a thousand years old. That your mother was the Original Witch who cast the spell that turned you, your four siblings and your father into vampires. I know that Niklaus, your younger brother, is a vampire/werewolf hybrid or he wants to be. You don't share the same father. You two had a falling out and you are no longer in his circle of trust. You don't know where he is and you want to use Elena to draw him out of seclusion.

The Curse of the Sun and the Moon is fake. It's a curse on Klaus that he wants to break. Your mother cast the spell that repressed his werewolf side. He thinks he'll be some all-powerful hybrid and spawn a new race of hybrids if he manages to break the curse. Your plan is to find the site of a massive witch burial ground in Mystic Falls. You hope your warlocks can channel that power to kill Klaus, when he's weak. After the curse has been broken. But that means the doppelganger is already dead. I'm asking you to find another way."

Elijah looked at her, mouth nearly open. She supposed that was a look of shock for him. To his credit, it only took him a few moments to compose himself.

Stefan and Jonas just stared, stunned.

"How do you know all this? Are you working for Klaus?" Elijah asked, suspiciously. "Even the most powerful Seers I've known don't know this much."

Okay, she didn't expect that.

"I'm not working for Klaus," she said, angrily. "How would I know who Jonas was and what your plan is? Why would I be working for the guy trying to kill my sister?"

"Klaus can be very… persuasive."

"Josie would never betray Elena," said Stefan, nearly as angry as she was.

Josie tried to calm down and use reason. "I have the moonstone. I have the doppelganger. I have a potential werewolf. There are plenty of vampires around. If I were working with Klaus, why would I be talking to you?"

Elijah just looked at her. The air was thick with tension.

"If you're lying…" he finally sighed, shaking his head.

"I'm not. I want him gone as much as you do."

"I very much doubt that."

Stefan shook his head. "You would really kill your own brother?"

"He deserves no better."

"Why do you say that?" asked Josie. "Because he's an evil vampire who kills indiscriminately or because he turned his murderous intentions on your other siblings?"

"Both," he said, no longer looking surprised at all she knew.

"What if I told you that your siblings aren't lost?" she asked, leaning back. Elijah had to know this particular truth. That revelation is what had screwed up the plan in the show. "Would that change things?"

"What do you mean?" Elijah leaned forward.

"What do you think?" she asked, with a touch of sarcasm. "I'm going to be honest, Elijah. I don't really care what happens to Klaus. All I care about is protecting the people I love. Now, if I help you keep your family safe, will you do the same for mine?"

Elijah looked at her curiously. "Yes," he said, finally.

She smiled. "Alright. Now, first, your family. They're safe, being stored in coffins, with daggers in their chests."

"Where?" asked Elijah.

"I'm not exactly sure," she said, biting her lip. "I think Klaus keeps them close to him, but I could be wrong. My visions don't come with all the details. We'll help you get them back, I promise."

Elijah nodded. "I hope you understand when I insist we don't kill him until I have my family in my possession. I will not risk their safety."

Josie was afraid of that. Not that she blamed Elijah. It was a reasonable thing to ask. Her family for his.

Josie looked at Stefan, who nodded.

"Okay," she said, nodding too. "Now, ideally I'd like to stop Klaus before he comes to Mystic Falls."

"Nobody knows where he is," said Jonas. "Unless you do."

"No," said Josie, shaking her head. "But I have people looking. I'm confident they'll find him." She remembered how Isobel had found Klaus in the show. "Finding him is just the first step. We need to get the desiccation spell and then hold him down long enough to use it on him. I'll give you the location of the Grimoire," she said to Jonas, who nodded.

"We can help provide some vampire muscle to hold him down," said Stefan.

"Great, we'll call that Plan A," said Josie, taking a page out of Katherine's book. Now they were getting down to business.

"And Plan B is the elixir?" asked Elijah. "If we cannot stop him from performing the sacrifice?"

Josie nodded. "What are the odds on the elixir?"

Elijah sighed. "I'm not sure. The witch who gave it to me said it should preserve her life force, but couldn't give me a guarantee."

"That's not acceptable," Stefan said.

"It's just a back-up plan, Stefan. Can you confirm what the odds are with the elixir?" Josie asked Jonas.

The warlock nodded. "I'll look into it."

"There is another magical possibility," Josie said. "There's a spell that will link Elena's life to another's. It would require someone sacrificing themselves for her, but it would keep her alive. This Grimoire you can't have. It belongs to a friend of ours. If we get to the point where we need it, you can work with her to perform the spell."

Stefan frowned. "If we can't stop the sacrifice, how do we make sure Klaus will leave Mystic Falls once you have your family?"

"I think even if we can't stop the sacrifice, we should desiccate him anyway. Once Elijah's family is recovered and Greta, Jonas' daughter, is safe, of course," said Josie.

"Why not just kill him?" asked Stefan.

"Our only chance to kill him through magic will be directly after the sacrifice when he's weak," said Jonas. "And only if we can find the witch burial ground. Otherwise, I'm guessing the desiccation spell can be used at any time?" He looked at Josie, who nodded.

There was a moment of silence. Josie took the time to appreciate the gravity of what they were discussing. Could they actually win? Defeat the great and powerful Klaus?

"If there isn't anything else…" said Stefan, getting up.

"Wait, one more thing," said Josie, looking at Elijah. "Rose is in Mystic Falls. She said you pardoned her, but I don't know how you did that since you don't represent Klaus anymore."

Elijah sighed. "I told her she was pardoned. I did not specify for whom. Klaus was to be dead soon, anyway."

"Well, we don't want her dead in case we don't succeed. Can you compel her to run until Klaus is gone?"

Elijah nodded. "Of course." He clearly wasn't proud of what he'd done.

"Wait," said Elijah, blocking their way. "I'm sorry, but I must insist this arrangement stay between us. This is no longer about revenge. My family's life is at stake. If Niklaus suspects we are plotting against him, he may dispose of their bodies. It is not a risk I'm willing to take."

Josie looked at Stefan, remembering how they'd promised to tell Elena after this meeting.

"It's Elena's life," said Stefan. "She deserves to know."

Elijah shook his head. "I truly am sorry, but I must insist."

Josie felt her heart drop as Elijah moved in front of Stefan, realizing what he was about to do.

"Elijah, no, please," she said, not wanting to give up her only confidant.

"I'm sorry, my dear." Elijah looked Stefan in the eye and compelled him. "You will forget this entire meeting took place. You will forget any knowledge of me and my family that you learned from Josie. You will forget Josie has the Sight. However, you will include Josie in any plans or conversations you have about myself, Klaus, the moonstone or the sacrifice."

Then Elijah turned to Josie. It was clear if she was able to be compelled, she'd be saying goodbye to her memories too. "You will not tell anyone what we are planning. Not until Niklaus is defeated and my family is safe. Or our deal is off. We can just as easily vanquish him after the ritual."

Josie nodded, not really having a choice. Inside, she was crushed. The cycle of secrets and lies was supposed to be over. Now, apparently, it had only begun.

"We'll be in touch," said Elijah and then he and Jonas left.

Josie turned to Stefan. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," nodded Stefan. "Too bad this place was closed."

Josie frowned. Clearly Elijah's compulsion was already in place.

"Sorry," she said, a little annoyed their meeting hadn't actually included food. "They do have really good scones."

They were about halfway to school when Elena called Stefan. He answered and immediately Josie could tell something was wrong because Elena was practically screaming.

"Calm down, Elena," said Stefan, putting his phone on speaker. "What's wrong?"

"Where have you been? I've been calling for an hour. She's gone, Stefan. Katherine is gone."

"What?" asked Stefan, brow more furrowed than normal. "How can she be gone?"

"I don't know. I went to the tomb to get answers. To see if what Rose said was true. But when I got there, she wasn't there."

"I wonder if Damon even put her in there," scoffed Stefan, shaking his head.

"He swears he did. I'm with him right now. We're at the Boarding House."

"We'll be there soon," said Stefan and hung up.

When they arrived at the Boarding House, the atmosphere was tense. Rose, Damon and Elena were in the living room. When Stefan and Josie walked in, Elena ran over to Stefan, who enveloped her in a hug. Josie felt awful. She was the cause of all this distress.

Oddly, now that she had been forbidden from telling them anything, she really wanted to reveal everything. End this charade. That had been the plan. She and Stefan were going to spill. Now Stefan was blissfully unaware and she was back to being alone in this.

"She's probably off to strike a bargain with Klaus," said Damon, shaking his head. "Your location for her freedom like Rose did."

Rose shook her head. "I don't know that he'd be willing to grant her freedom. Not only did she escape, but she stole the moonstone."

"Well, if she gave it back…" said Damon.

"She doesn't have it," said Josie. "I do."

She pulled the moonstone out of her bag. She'd brought it to the meeting with Elijah, just in case he wanted proof she had it.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"We have to make sure she doesn't get it," said Stefan.

"So we keep it here with us," said Damon. "The only people in town who can actually protect it."

"In the house that any vampire can enter," retorted Josie, rolling her eyes.

"What about Bonnie?" asked Elena. "She can protect it and I don't think any vampires are invited to her house."

"Including us," said Damon, frowning.

"So?" asked Josie.

Bonnie wasn't a bad idea. It should be safe there. And it wasn't too inaccessible should she need it.

"I think that could work," said Stefan.

Damon wasn't happy, but reluctantly agreed they would hand the stone over to Bonnie. Rose offered to take Damon and Stefan to Richmond, to meet her friend Slater, that had contacted Elijah. They hoped he could lead them to Klaus. Josie was pretty sure that wouldn't lead anywhere, but figured it couldn't hurt to try, in case things were different here.

In the end, Damon decided to go with Rose, while Stefan stayed in Mystic Falls, to keep an eye on Elena in case Katherine decided to make a move against her.

Josie stayed with Tyler that night, not wanting to be in the Gilbert House. She felt guilty when she saw the apprehensive looks on Stefan and Elena's faces, knowing it was because of the choices she'd made. Even though she enjoyed her night with Tyler, dinner and a movie, she wished she didn't have to lie to him when he asked why she was late for school.

She was just falling asleep when she heard the telltale beep of her phone, indicating she had a message. Her heart thudded in her chest when she saw it was from Elijah. Had he somehow found Klaus? Was this news about the elixir?

'It was a pleasure meeting you today, Josie. I look forward to working with you.'

Josie shook her head. Elijah was so formal. She was just about to respond when she received another text from him.

'Please let me know if there's anything I can do for you. I appreciate your help as well as your discretion.'

At that, Josie smiled. She'd been wrong, she wasn't alone in this. Grinning, she texted him back, telling him that she looked forward to working with him too, she was capable of being very discreet, and finally, that he owed her a breakfast.


	22. The Sacrifice - The Descent

The next day, she went to Wickery Bridge right after school, armed with a saw. Thankfully, it was an old bridge, so she was able to collect some pieces that were half falling off anyway. She took them home and convinced Jeremy to help her whittle it all, though she didn't tell him what type of stakes they were.

She tried not to feel guilty as she hid the stakes in various places around the house, her car, the school, etc. over the next week. She kept one for herself, too. She wasn't going to use them, she told herself. It was just an insurance policy.

A few days later, Josie was sitting in third period when Stefan came into the classroom. She watched, astonished, as he compelled the teacher, saying that Josie was needed in the guidance counselor's office right away. When they were out in the hallway, he explained that Elena had gone to Richmond with Rose to find Slater. And then, Elena had tried to get in contact with Klaus to turn herself in.

"Damon is already on his way," said Stefan, as they climbed into his car.

Josie nodded. "Thanks for coming to get me."

"Elena's your sister. Damon may not understand that, but I do."

Josie rolled her eyes and looked out the window. It was Elijah's compulsion that made Stefan include her, clearly. Otherwise, she was sure Stefan would have gone with Damon and left her behind. Jeremy wasn't in the car, after all.

She pulled out her phone and texted Elijah, hoping he would come to Richmond and kill Klaus' minions, just like he did in the show. It was less than an hour to Richmond, but the drive felt much longer. She spent most of it staring at her phone, hoping for a response from Elijah.

When they arrived at Slater's apartment building, her heart was pounding in her chest. Why wasn't he texting her back? Where was he? Had something been altered from the timeline of the show and he was busy and unable to come? She kept replaying past events in her head, wondering what she had done to stop him from coming.

Damon was in Slater's bedroom when they entered the apartment.

"Stefan!" cried Elena, running into his arms. "Josie. What are you guys doing here?"

"Stopping you," said Stefan, hugging her fiercely. "What were you thinking? Klaus wants to kill you."

"I just want to keep you all safe. I don't want to live if everyone I love has to die."

"Why are those the only two options?" asked Josie, wishing for the millionth time she could tell them all that she had a plan. "We'll find a way."

At that moment, Damon came out of the bedroom.

"Nice of you to join us," he said. "But it's time to go. Alice is sleeping soundly and won't remember a moment of this horribly stupid day."

Suddenly, three vampires opened the doors to the apartment. Klaus' minions. Oh god. She looked at her phone. Still no response from Elijah. Rose, Stefan and Damon took up defensive positions in front of Josie and Elena.

"Thank you for coming," said Elena, trying to move past them.

"I will break your arm," Damon threatened Elena.

For once, Stefan ignored Damon completely. "There's nothing here for you," said Stefan, moving forward and putting a protective arm in front of Elena.

The three vampires moved forward as well, baring their teeth. Then, the one nearest the door fell down. In his place was Elijah. Josie breathed a sigh of relief.

Rose took off, but Stefan, Damon, Elena and Josie watched as Elijah killed Klaus' minions and left. Just like in the show. Everyone was shocked, of course, having thought Elijah was dead and having no explanation for his behavior.

Josie rode home with Stefan and Elena, trying to ignore the uncomfortable silence.

She texted Elijah 'Thanks.'

'Of course,' he wrote back. 'I found Rose and compelled her to run. You won't see her again until Klaus is dead.'

'Thanks. Any news?'

'We're working on the elixir and the spell. We'll be meeting again soon, Josie.'

She smiled. She liked Elijah.

She tried to suppress her gasp when she felt the telltale sign of another vision. She saw Elijah talking to Jonas. They spoke about how the Salvatore brothers were keeping Elena safe. Elijah asked for an update on the elixir and the desiccation spell. Jonas said 'soon'. Then they started talking about Josie.

"And you're sure she's not a witch?" asked Elijah.

Jonas shook his head. "She's definitely not a witch."

"But she can't be compelled. She described the visions like dreams... Have you ever heard of someone who could See that much?"

"No," answered Jonas. "It is a rare thing for a witch to possess the Sight. Even then, the visions tend to be fractured. Puzzle pieces. Not like dreams at all. It almost sounds like…"

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "Like?"

"An Oracle."

"I thought Oracles were a myth?"

Jonas nodded. "They are. A witch folk tale. A human with a direction connection to the Sight, with lucid visions. But there isn't an actual recorded case of one existing."

"Can we tell for sure? If she's an Oracle or something else?" asked Elijah. "She herself does not seem to know."

"I can discreetly look into it."

Elijah nodded. "Make sure you are very discreet. Her Sight, in the wrong hands…"

The scene cut out. Josie's mind was reeling. An Oracle? What was that?

For the first time, since she'd arrived in Mystic Falls, she felt a little worried about herself. Why had it never occurred to her that her knowledge might put her at risk? She'd been so focused on Elena and the value of the doppelganger, she hadn't considered herself.

Maybe she shouldn't have gone to Elijah. Kept her knowledge secret. What was the use in having it then?

She sat back and texted Tyler. She convinced him to come over and they talked about nothing and made love for the rest of the night.

The next morning, Tyler and Josie were having breakfast in the Gilbert kitchen when Stefan and Elena walked in. Elena started making eggs while Stefan joined Tyler and Josie at the table with his coffee.

"Sorry about yesterday," said Stefan to Tyler.

Tyler looked confused.

"Including Josie in the Richmond road trip," explained Stefan. "I didn't know we'd be joined by one of the oldest and deadliest vampires. We all thought Elijah was dead."

"Well, we're just lucky that Elijah decided to rip out the other vampires' hearts instead of yours," grumbled Elena, still clearly annoyed that her sacrifice plan had been foiled.

Josie bit her lip. She hadn't told Tyler about that particular detail. She just told him that they'd gone to get Elena in Richmond to prevent her from turning herself over to Klaus. She didn't mention they'd run into vampire trouble.

To his credit, Tyler just told Stefan it wasn't a problem. It was a different story when they got up to Josie's room though.

"How could you not tell me?" he asked, angrily. "Elijah's alive? And he ripped out some vampires' hearts in front of you?"

"We were all fine," said Josie. "I didn't want you to worry."

"I'm not angry that you were there, Josie. I'm angry that you didn't tell me. We shouldn't keep secrets from each other."

Josie nodded, feeling more guilty than ever about all the secrets she was keeping from everyone.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"Just be honest with me next time."

Josie gave him a small smile. "Of course."

Tyler smiled and kissed her.

"I need to get home," he said. "I want to work out, then I'm meeting Matt at the Grill."

A few minutes after Tyler left, Jeremy walked into Josie's room. He said Bonnie was in Elena's room with the moonstone (that Tyler had thankfully surrendered without a fight) and that they were testing Elena to see if she was still determined to turn herself over to Klaus.

Josie just laughed when she walked down the stairs to find Elena banging on the invisible barrier keeping her in the house. Magic was so cool. Who cared about visions when you could throw up invisible barriers all over the place?

"It's for the best, Elena," Bonnie was saying.

Elena's eyes flickered to Jeremy and then Josie.

"Don't look at me," said Josie, moving into the living room. "I told you before we'll find another way."

"Like what?" asked Elena, crossing her arms, but following Josie into the living room and plopping on the couch.

"We don't know yet," replied Bonnie. "Everyone is meeting at the Boarding House soon. Now that we know what Klaus wants and why, we'll figure out a way to save you."

Josie bit her lip. Since Elijah wasn't actively looking for the moonstone, he hadn't sent the Scoobies on the wild-goose chase of 'de-spelling' the moonstone, so they really didn't have a clue what to do next.

"And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" asked Elena.

As if to answer her question, the doorbell rang. Jeremy opened the door to reveal Anna. She had a stack of movies, three pizza boxes and a carton of ice cream.

"Someone order a pizza?" Anna asked, smiling.

Jeremy moved forward and kissed her. "Thanks for coming."

"How could I say no to a day of Xbox and Die Hard?" she asked, moving into the living room.

"You're not going to leave me here to be the third wheel are you?" asked Elena to Bonnie and Josie, who were making their way to the front door.

"Next time I try to sacrifice myself to break an ancient curse, feel free to lock me in with whoever you like," said Josie, laughing as she shut the door behind them.

When Bonnie and Josie arrived at the Boarding House, everyone else was already there. Everyone being Damon, Stefan, Alaric and Caroline. Bonnie said she was going to do more research on the curse and the moonstone to see if there was a magical solution. Damon and Stefan talked through a few facts they'd learned from some older vampires they knew (like Lexi and Pearl), including that Original Vampires could compel normal vampires, unless they were taking vervain. And finally, Alaric gave an update on everything he'd learned about the curse and the Originals from Isobel's research.

"What about Isobel?" asked Stefan after Alaric had finished. Not that he had much more than they already knew.

"What about her? returned Alaric.

"She was a research expert," said Stefan. "Maybe she could help dig up more info. Like where Klaus is."

Josie hoped the vampires in the room couldn't hear the sudden uptick in her heart. But wait, Isobel hadn't come to Mystic Falls in the show. No, she'd sent John Gilbert in her place. At that, Josie smiled. She was wondering when Uncle John was going to show up. Uncle John who brought the just-in-case dagger.

"Well, I have an old number…" said Alaric, clearly not happy about contacting his late wife.

Even though she felt a bit naughty, Josie texted Elijah throughout the meeting, wondering when they were going to meet next to finalize plans.

'Any news?' wrote Josie.

'My warlocks are still working, as am I. Patience is a virtue, my dear.'

'I'm young and not very virtuous. Besides, KLAUS is coming.'

'There is still time. The ritual must be performed on the full moon, which is tonight and he's not ready. We have one month at least.'

Josie bit her lip. She was pretty sure the next full moon was when Klaus would arrive. God this was terrifying.

'Also, don't be alarmed, but I will probably be at your house later today,' he added.

'I'm not sure my aunt can help you find the burial ground, Author Smith.'

Josie knew she was playing fast and loose with how much she knew, but she couldn't help it. Elijah had replaced Stefan in a way. He was the only one in Mystic Falls that knew her secret.

'Amazing.' Elijah texted back. 'You are remarkable.'

Josie nearly blushed. Elijah thought she was remarkable!

'My warlocks have been unable to locate the site. So, I have decided to try my hand. Unless you know where it is?"

'No. See I'm not all-knowing :P'

Josie honestly didn't know where the witch house was.

'No one is, my dear. But you are the closest I've ever come across in a thousand years.'

'You were also going to make a deal with Elena, no?'

'Yes, she needs to stop running into Klaus' arms. I think I can convince her to stay put.'

Josie rolled her eyes. 'Good luck'

She was home when Elijah came. Elena pounded on her door and was just explaining how Elijah had been invited in, when he sped into Josie's room, closing the door behind him.

Josie stayed mostly silent while she watched Elijah masterfully subdue Elena's martyr complex. He agreed to keep her, her family, and her friends safe and she agreed to stop trying to get herself killed.

A few days later, Josie and Tyler went to a local all-day music festival. They had fun, but it was clear that Josie's involvement with the supernatural was still a sore subject for Tyler.

"So you think Elena's birth mother can help?" asked Tyler, as they sat a picnic table eating lunch.

"Maybe," said Josie, noncommittally. She didn't really like talking about the supernatural with Tyler. It just reminded her of all the secrets she was keeping. "So what was your favorite band so far?"

"I don't know," he said, hastily. "Wasn't Isobel the one who kidnapped you?"

Josie sighed. Clearly he wasn't going to be deterred.

"She didn't hurt me."

"I still don't like the idea of her in Mystic Falls."

"There's no guarantee Alaric can even reach her."

There was a few minutes of silence while they ate their lunch.

"I want to come, Josie," he said.

At Josie's confused look, he elaborated. "The next time you all have a meeting, I want to come."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," said Josie, shaking her head. "You may not be a werewolf, but Damon wouldn't like it."

"Right and it's so important to do what Damon wants," said Tyler, sarcastically.

"Damon is dangerous. He tried to kill Mason. It's best to just stay away from him if you can."

"So why did you sleep with him for so long?"

Josie gasped. She had never told Tyler that. After what Damon did to Mason, she never wanted Tyler to find out.

"It's none of your business what I did with Damon before we started dating," she said, a lot more defensively than she intended.

"It is when you still hang around him all time. With your secret meetings and rescue missions."

Josie sighed. "Tyler… I…"

"You were never going to tell me, were you?" he cut in.

Josie didn't argue. "It's in the past, Tyler. I'm with you now. I love you."

"I love you, too," he said, grabbing her hand, voice softening. "It's not that you slept with him. It's that you didn't tell me. I told you before. We shouldn't keep secrets from each other."

Josie nodded and kissed him. The rest of the festival was enjoyable, but as Tyler drove her home, she wondered what he would do when he found out just how much she was keeping from him.


	23. Daddy Issues & Crying Wolf

**A/N: I should have mentioned this last chapter, but the concept of Josie possibly being an 'Oracle' will keep cropping up. Oracles aren't canon, it's something of my own making. Mostly so I don't have to keep writing 'non-witch who gets visions and can't be compelled'.**

 **Anyway, we're just a few chapters away from Klaus after this! Let me know what you guys think so far!**

Uncle John arrived a few hours after Josie got home from the music festival with Tyler. Elena was shocked when he walked in with Stefan. Josie was grateful as he had the white oak dagger. Elijah was a man of his word, but it couldn't hurt to have, just in case. Plus, if they couldn't stop Klaus from performing the ritual, then Uncle John would be needed for the linking ritual to save Elena. Josie didn't like the idea of trading one life for another, but if Uncle John wanted to sacrifice himself for his daughter, then he should have that right.

Coincidentally, Katherine texted Josie that night to say that she and Isobel were close to tracking down Klaus.

The next day, Uncle John didn't waste any time- by the time Josie came home after her dinner date with Tyler, Jenna knew that Uncle John was Elena's real father, he had made his objections to Elena's deal with Elijah clear, he had announced his intentions to protect Elena and he had delivered the dagger to Damon. Josie learned most of this from Elena, though Stefan, following Elijah's compulsion to include Josie in everything, told her about the dagger.

When Josie cornered Uncle John in the kitchen early the next morning, he didn't seem to know anything about Josie's involvement with Isobel and Katherine's Klaus-hunting. As a precaution, Josie had asked Katherine not to tell Isobel she was involved and it seemed the vampire had kept to that.

That day, she got a text from Elijah, saying he was ready to meet again. Josie had hoped to have Klaus' location by then, but although Katherine said they were closer (somewhere in upstate New York), they still didn't have an exact location.

So, that afternoon, Josie went to Jonas and Luka's place for a sit down.

"Hey Elijah" Josie said, entering the living room. "Luka. Jonas."

"Please, have a seat, my dear," said Elijah.

Josie sat next to Elijah, opposite Jonas and Luka.

"So, what'd you find out?" she asked.

"First, the elixir," said Jonas, indicating a small vial on the table between them. "The magic is sound. It should protect your sister's soul from death and, it should bring back her body as well."

Josie frowned. "That's a lot of 'shoulds'."

"Yes," sighed Jonas. "These types of curses are rare, at best, and each one is slightly different. There's no way to tell if it will work until it does or it doesn't."

Josie rolled her eyes. Clearly magic was not science. "Give me a ballpark percentage."

"90%" said Jonas.

"There are worse odds," said Josie. "Although I'm still hoping we can get to Klaus before the ritual. What about our Plan A?"

"We were able to locate the Grimoire with the desiccation spell," said Jonas. "However, there is a catch. The spell stops the vampire's heart by linking him to a human, whose heart is stopped as well."

"That's kind of a big catch," frowned Josie, who'd forgotten that detail.

Jonas shrugged. "We should be able to revive the human through magic," he said, dismissively.

Josie was a little surprised by his cavalier attitude. She suddenly remembered how ruthless Jonas had been in the show. How he would have done anything to get Greta back, how he had been willing to let Elena die, how he had destroyed the Grill and nearly killed Matt. At least she knew he was dedicated.

"The only problem now is that we don't know where Klaus is. My contacts think he's in upstate New York, but don't have an exact location. And I haven't had a vision." Josie frowned. "Too bad it doesn't work like that."

"One mustn't be greedy, my dear," said Elijah. "Your gifts are considerable already."

"I suppose," said Josie, grumpily. "So we should definitely have a plan in place for desiccating him when he arrives in Mystic Falls."

"With the power of the witches' burial ground, we shouldn't need more than Elijah to hold him down," said Jonas. "Maybe one more vampire to be safe."

Josie raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"That place represents an enormous amount of energy," said Jonas. "Give it to me, put me in the same room as Klaus and I'll desiccate him for good."

"But not kill him?" asked Josie, thinking, as always, of the bloodline issue.

"I've had time to think on that," said Elijah. "Now that I'm aware he has been keeping our family safe all these years, I'd prefer we desiccate him rather than kill him. He is my brother, after all. I give you all my word that I will not revive him in yours nor even your children's lifetimes."

Jonas, Luka and Josie nodded and they spent another hour or so, going over more details, plans, etc.

Josie warned Luka about taking any drinks from Bonnie Bennett, telling him that the Scoobies were going to try and get more information about Elijah's intentions. She didn't tell Elijah about the white oak dagger. Not yet.

A few days later was the Historical Tea Gathering to honor Elijah. Elena and Stefan had gone to the lake house for the weekend. Without Mason's pack in town, Josie knew that Elena and Stefan would have a nice, relaxing weekend at the lake house. Except for finding the Gilbert journals, which would only be helpful to them.

Jenna texted Josie that she would be gone at the Tea Gathering for most of the day, but that she was hoping they could all have dinner at a local restaurant. Jenna was bringing Alaric to dinner, so Josie texted Tyler, inviting him as well.

Remembering that Damon tried to attack Elijah at the gathering, Josie texted Elijah later in the afternoon.

'Having fun drinking tea?' she wrote. 'Sorry about Damon, if what I saw actually did happen.'

'It's no concern. He is keeping Elena safe and is no threat to me.'

'He's just mad he's not the biggest, baddest vampire in town anymore. And he doesn't trust you.'

'Given my original intentions, it's not surprising.'

'I wish everyone trusted you. I wish everyone could see what I've seen.'

'It would make things easier.'

'Probably for the best. Sometimes I wish I could un-see some things.'

Josie bit her lip, thinking of her recent vision of Mason getting his heart ripped out by Klaus during the ritual. Unlike in the show, her visions included every gory detail.

'Did you get a troubling vision?'

'Not recently, but at least when people get their hearts ripped out in real life, I can look away. Maybe your original intentions would have been better.'

Josie couldn't help having doubts about her efforts to try and prevent the ritual. Elena had survived, after all. It was really just Jenna that needed to be saved. It was too late, though. She'd already chosen to take on Klaus.

Oddly, Elijah didn't respond to her last text.

An hour later, she was on her laptop, finishing up a school assignment up when she felt a breeze. Elijah stood before her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, sitting next to her.

Josie was confused. "I'm fine. Why?"

He looked at her with sad eyes. "It's a large burden to bear," he said, quietly. "For someone so young."

Josie's face broke into a small smile. "I'll be fine. I'm… honestly, I'm scared. Really scared. Klaus is coming. The most feared vampire there ever was and we're trying to take him out. What happens if he finds out?"

She paused. "And then there's these visions I keep getting. Why me? Out of all the people on the goddamn planet." She sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Elijah. What's up? News about Klaus?"

He shook his head. "I simply wished to ensure you were okay."

Josie raised an eyebrow and nearly laughed. "I'm not welching, okay? I didn't mean what I said about keeping your original intentions. It's just hard not to have doubts sometimes."

"It's going to be alright. I'll protect you and your sister, as I promised."

Her smile turned into a gasp as she felt another vision coming on. She saw Klaus. He was fucking Greta. She could see the ecstasy on her face and the lust in his as he bit down on her while they came together.

When she came back to reality, Elijah's hands were on her shoulders and he had a concerned look on his face.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Get out of my head!" she said to no one in particular. "What use was that for?"

"Another vision?"

"Yes, not important," she said, shaking her head. "I didn't need another vision to know that Klaus is a pervert!"

"Don't tell me," he said, pulling back. "Greta?"

Josie nodded. "Don't tell Jonas. What was the point of that? At least she's enjoying herself while she gets screwed by Klaus," Josie said, rolling her eyes.

"My brother always did surround himself with beautiful women. Especially when they could be more useful to him than just a lover."

Josie tilted her head. "I guess that's not surprising. He'd hardly be threatened by strong women."

"Which is why it is imperative that he not find out the truth about your abilities," said Elijah, seriously.

"You think he'd want to use me for my visions?" asked Josie, who couldn't help but be a little flattered by Elijah's assessment.

"Among other things," said Elijah, darkly. "Klaus is obsessed with power. This is why he wants to break the curse and create more hybrids like himself. I'm afraid what he would do if he found out the extent of your Sight. I'm sure you realize by now that you are unique," said Elijah, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "He would stop at nothing to possess you."

Josie gulped. "Possess me? I don't even want to know what that means."

"I'm not saying this to frighten you, my dear. I just want to make sure you understand how important it is to keep your visions a secret. Until he is dealt with."

Josie nodded and turned the conversation towards lighter matters. A little while later, Elijah left as quickly as he came.

Josie tried to finish her assignment, but found she couldn't concentrate. Elijah's alarming words were still ringing in her ears. But that vision of Klaus and Greta… well it took her a while to forget the witch's loud, throaty moans.

Tyler had just picked Josie up for dinner when she got a text from Elijah, letting her know that Luka had successfully sidestepped Bonnie's attempt to extract information out of him. Josie smiled and wrote back, thanking him.

"Who was that?" asked Tyler, glancing over at her as he drove.

"Just Bridget," she said, putting her phone away.

Tyler scoffed. "Are you sure it wasn't Em?"

"Em?" asked Josie, trying to sound casual. 'Em' is what she had named Elijah as a contact in her phone. Her little joke.

"Yeah, Em. The person that's been blowing up your phone the past few weeks?"

"You were looking at my phone?" she asked. Oh, god. There was no explanation for those messages.

"No," he said, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "But it's kind of hard not to notice how often your phone's been buzzing lately and it's not someone I even recognize on the screen."

Okay, so he'd only seen the notifications. "It's nothing. Just someone I've been talking to that I think can help with the whole sacrifice situation."

"Who?"

"I…" Josie started, then fell silent.

Tyler sighed. "I feel like we're having this conversation on repeat, Josie. Why won't you tell me what's going on? Don't you trust me?"

Of course she did. But she couldn't tell him. She wouldn't betray Elijah.

"I can't," she finally said. "It's not my secret to tell."

Tyler just shook his head. "Well then maybe you should be with someone you can tell," he said, angrily stepping on the gas as they turned the corner.

Josie didn't have a chance to respond because at that moment, a man appeared in front of the car. Tyler swore and tried to swerve, but it was too late and there was a sickening thump as the car smashed into the man. He tumbled up the windshield as Tyler slammed on the brakes.

Thankfully, Tyler and Josie were unhurt, but she knew the man was dead before they even got out of the car. Tyler started groaning and holding his head. She tried to put her hand on him to comfort him, but he batted her away. When he turned to look at her, she could see his eyes turn a golden shade of amber.

Josie gasped, unable to believe what she was seeing. Tyler had just triggered the curse. He was a werewolf.


	24. The Dinner Party

The aftermath of the accident was a blur. First, the ambulance came, then the police. Several eyewitnesses claimed the man was drunk and had jumped in front of the car, so the Sheriff said there would be no charges, just some business for the insurance company. Josie couldn't help but wonder if it was truly an accident or if someone had arranged it to trigger Tyler's curse.

Josie held Tyler the whole time. Telling him how much she loved him and how everything would be okay. He just nodded and held her close. Carol came, of course, and Josie tried not to be hurt when Tyler accepted his mother's offer to take him home, saying he wanted to be alone.

When Josie got home, she went immediately to her room and flopped on her bed. She sent Tyler a text, but he didn't respond, so she crawled under the covers and went to sleep.

The next morning, she had a text from Tyler waiting for her, but it was not a happy one. He told her that he wasn't going to make it to the brunch she'd planned, that he wanted to be left alone, and that he'd see her tomorrow at school. She tried not to be crushed that he was pushing her away, but it was hard.

Stefan called her just as she got home from brunch. He asked her to keep an eye on Damon, as he was planning to murder Elijah with the dagger. Thankful for Elijah's clever compulsion, Josie knew that tonight must be the night of the infamous dinner party.

Josie texted Damon and found out he was at the Grill with Alaric and his new girlfriend, Andie Starr.

That was how she ended up being there when they all planned their dinner party. She texted Elijah a few minutes before he walked in, asking him to insist that she come.

"Of course Jenna thinks he's charming," Alaric was saying as Josie slid into the seat next to him.

"You sound jealous," said Damon, smirking. "Hey Josie."

"Hey, who's Ric jealous of?" asked Josie, raising an eyebrow.

"Elijah," said Andie, smiling.

"The one that beat the crap out of you yesterday?" asked Josie, laughing.

The smirk fell from Damon's face. "He didn't beat the crap out of me… Josie, have you met my new girlfriend, Andie Starr?"

Josie shook her head. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," said Andie.

"So, Elijah?" asked Josie, turning back to Alaric. "Anything?"

Alaric shook his head. "Maybe we shouldn't talk about this here," he said, tilting his head toward Andie.

"Andie? She's been compelled not to divulge my secrets. Haven't you?" said Damon, putting an arm around Andie.

"Uh huh, my lips are sealed," said Andie, giving Damon a kiss.

Alaric eyed them warily. "This is too weird."

Josie had to agree. Damon was totally in love with Elena. Who did he think he was fooling?

"I just need the right opportunity," Damon said, though mostly to himself. Then he looked up towards the Grill entrance. "Ah, there's Jenna with her new boyfriend. Hi!"

"Hey guys," said Jenna, coming over with Elijah following. Elijah looked around the group with a friendly, impassive smile, not giving away that he and Josie were any more than strangers. Josie idly wondered if Elijah ever played poker.

"So I heard you two had quite the meeting of historical minds today," said Damon.

"You could say that," said Jenna. "Elijah, I don't know that you've met my niece, Josie."

"I haven't had the pleasure," said Elijah, smiling. "It's nice to meet you, Josie."

"You too," she said, shaking his hand.

She was confident her poker face was as good as his. She'd had so much practice the past several months.

"Well, as much as I'd like to continue this, I've got papers to grade," said Alaric, clearly not wanting to be in Elijah's prescence anymore.

"You know what? Why don't we continue this?" asked Andie. "Let's have a dinner party."

Josie frowned. Did Damon realize how obvious it was that Andie just did whatever he told her to do?

"Oh, my girl. Full of good ideas," said Damon. "I'd be happy to host. Say tonight. Maybe?"

"It's good for me, Jenna?" asked Andie.

Jenna interrupted Alaric's decline. "I'm free."

"It would be a pleasure," said Elijah, smiling. "And Josie, will you be joining us? Five is such an awkward number for dinner, after all."

"Tonight's a school night…" started Alaric.

"Well, we won't be too late," interrupted Elijah. "I have an early morning myself."

"Great," said Damon, tightly. He clearly wasn't happy that Josie was coming.

After Elijah and Jenna went to the bar, Damon, Alaric, Andie and Josie went outside, out of earshot of Elijah.

"You're not coming," said Alaric.

Josie frowned. "Why not? Some people think I'm good company."

"If she doesn't come, Elijah's going to get suspicous. Think we're planning something," sighed Damon, annoyed.

"And are you?" asked Alaric.

Damon shook his head. "Just a fact-finding mission, my friend. I don't trust Elijah. There's something he's not telling us."

Josie rolled her eyes. Damon was such a liar. Of course, he wasn't wrong about Elijah either.

"Five is an awkward number for dinner," said Andie.

Alaric frowned. "You're not Elijah's date, Josie. He's a thousand years too old for you."

Josie laughed. "He is kinda cute."

"I'm serious," said Alaric, scowling. "Don't even think about it."

Josie laughed again and rolled her eyes. "I'm joking, Ric. I have a boyfriend, remember?" Though her and Tyler weren't in the best place at the moment. "I'll see you guys tonight."

Josie met Elijah at The Tipping Pot in the afternoon and explained about the white oak dagger and the plan for the dinner that evening. She told him that he should stop it, but that he couldn't harm them for trying. That she had seen that Elena would stab herself to prevent Elijah from hurting anyone. Thankfully, Elijah believed her (he had seen Elena's martyr complex at work) and said he would stop them without harming them. She thanked him and assured him that they didn't have any more white oak daggers in their possession, so once he had it, they couldn't try again.

As interesting as the dinner party had been on the show, in real life, it was boring, even with Uncle John crashing. Josie ate her food while they discussed Mystic Falls history and Elijah talked about the book he was never going to write. When dinner was finally over and Jenna was out of earshot, the conversation turned more interesting.

"Did you know that John is Elena's uncle/father?" asked Damon.

"Yes, I'm well aware of that," said Elijah.

"Of course she hates him, so there's no reason to keep him on the endangered species list," Damon continued.

"Damon!" scolded Josie.

"What I'd like to know, Elijah, is how you intend on 'taking care of' Klaus?" asked John, quoting what Elijah had told Elena when they made their deal.

"Yeah, why not just kill him?" asked Damon. "It's what I'd do."

Elijah sighed. "There are a few things we should probably get clear right now. I allow you to live solely to keep an eye on Elena. I allow Elena to remain in her house, living her life, as a courtesy. If you become a liability, I'll take her away and you'll never see her again."

Josie frowned, wondering how true his words were. He was probably just trying to intimidate the others, but Elijah could be scary. He'd been so kind to her lately, sometimes she forgot he was a big, bad vampire who could probably kill them all before they could blink. Would he hold true to his promise not to retaliate for their dagger plan?

When Alaric tried to dagger him a few seconds later, Josie held her breath, hoping she'd made the right call in warning Elijah. He leapt up in a blink and took the dagger from Alaric.

"Why do you insist on being such a nuisance?" he asked, casually. "I promised to keep Elena and her loved ones safe and so far I've lived up to my end of the bargain. Cross me again, you'll all be dead and I'll take Elena away. Deal or no."

He got up, sped over to Damon and broke his neck. "Give my apologies to Jenna. I've found that I've quite lost my appetite for dessert." With that, he was gone.

Alaric, John and Andie looked shocked, but quickly recovered and moved Damon's body to another room, so Jenna wouldn't find it.

Josie got up, more annoyed and angry than she thought she'd be that they just tried to kill Elijah.

"What is wrong with you guys? He's trying to help us. Why don't you trust him?"

"Why do you?" asked Alaric, though she could tell he wasn't accusing her. It was an honest question. She wished she could answer honestly.

"I just do. He's more honest than Damon who swore he wasn't planning anything. When that asshole wakes up, tell him he's lucky Elijah is honorable. It's more than I can say for him."

Alaric didn't say anything, but it was clear he was thinking about what Josie had said.

"I found the…" Jenna trailed off. "What happened to Elijah and Damon?" she asked, coming into the room.

"Damon's in the bathroom," said Josie. "Elijah got an urgent call. I'm actually not feeling well. I'm going home."

Alaric and John looked annoyed, but they didn't try to stop her as she left.

As soon as she got in her car, she called Elijah. He picked up on the first ring.

"Hello."

"Hey, I just wanted to apologize again for that," she said, pulling out of the driveway of the Boarding House. "I hope you're not too upset."

He let out a breath that almost sounded like a laugh. "I'm fine. Your concern is appreciated, but unnecessary."

"Someone just tried to kill you!" she exclaimed. "Of course I'm concerned. I… don't want anything bad to happen to you." And it was true. She was surprised, but Elijah was quickly becoming a friend. He was her confidant in Mystic Falls.

"Thank you, my dear," he said.

She didn't get a chance to hear what else he was going to say because she gasped as a vision hit her. This one was intense, more intense than any other she'd had.

She saw herself standing next to Klaus, above the sacrifice. There were tears running down her face. She was begging with Klaus, pleading with him. He took no notice, except to turn to her and say she had nothing left to bargain with. That this was the consequence of her plotting against him. Looking behind her, she saw Elijah, face down and daggered in the dirt.

She looked down and saw that it was not Mason who was the werewolf to be sacrificed, but Tyler. And there, beside him, was Elena, as the doppelganger. The vampire to be sacrificed had his face to the ground, but when he looked up, she saw, to her horror, that it was Jeremy.

She watched, helplessly, as Klaus completed the ritual, killing the three people that meant the most to her in order to break his curse.

When Josie returned to reality from the vision, she was dizzy and her head throbbed. Her left arm hurt like crazy, as did her left leg. She was still in her car, but her car was on the side of the road, crashed into a tree. She had only a moment to think of her predicament before strong arms ripped the door to her left away and gently removed her seatbelt. She couldn't see her rescuer's face above her as her vision faded to black.

She woke up in an unfamiliar bedroom. A strange woman came into the room, carrying a tray with water, towels and clothes. She was just about to ask the woman who she was when she saw Elijah behind her.

"Josie, how are you feeling?" he asked. "Sarah, please set the tray down and leave us."

"I'm fine," Josie said, honestly. "Shouldn't I be in a lot more pain?"

Sarah set the tray down and closed the door behind her as she left.

"Forgive me, but I healed you while you were unconscious."

Josie smiled. "Thank you."

"I wasn't sure if you'd wake up without it," he said, handing her the glass of water. "What happened?"

"I… Oh god, my car!" she exclaimed. "My purse."

"Your car is in need of repair, I'm afraid. I had it towed to a local shop. Your purse is beside you."

"Thank you so much, Elijah. You didn't have to do that. I'm sure I would have been fine with an ambulance."

"Perhaps. Do you want to tell me what happened? Or would you prefer to get washed up first? There's a bathroom through there."

Josie touched her face and realized it was full of blood on one side. Looking down, she saw blood all down her left arm and leg. She grimaced, thinking of what the injuries would have been like if Elijah hadn't healed her.

"Maybe I'll just take a shower first."

"Of course," said Elijah, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

She quickly showered and changed into the clothes he'd brought. They didn't fit well, but they were definitely better than her blood-covered ones. She went to the door of the bedroom and opened it. She walked down the hallway a bit and saw Elijah and Sarah sitting in a living room. He was drinking blood from a glass, she was reading a book. Elijah looked up when Josie entered.

"Josie, my dear," he said, rising. "This is a friend of mine, Sarah. Sarah, this is Josie."

"Nice to meet you," said Josie, shaking Sarah's hand.

"You too," said Sarah, warmly.

Josie noticed the bite marks on Sarah's wrist and neck. She raised an eyebrow at Elijah.

"We have much to discuss," said Elijah, noticing Josie's gaze. "Sarah, perhaps it's time for you to go to bed?"

Sarah nodded.

"Don't forget your white sound machine," said Elijah, looking her in the eye and, probably, compelling her.

After Sarah had left, Josie sat down next to Elijah.

"Who is that?" she asked.

"She is an… acquaintance of mine. She wants me to turn her."

Josie raised an eyebrow. "So she lets you use her as a juice box?"

"Yes," he said, simply. "In this modern era, we are no longer forced to feed from humans to survive." He held up his glass of blood. "But there is no replacing blood straight from the vein," he admitted. "I get a place to stay that no other vampire can enter without my permission, fresh blood, and when my business in town is complete, I'll turn her."

Josie had to admit it was a clever arrangement. It made her stomach turn a bit, but it didn't sound like Sarah was being forced to do anything against her will.

Josie shook her head. "I'll never understand that. Humans who want to be vampires."

"Are we really so repulsive?" asked Elijah, looking almost hurt. "Do you not understand the lure of immortality, enhanced senses, strength, speed, compulsion?"

"Not repulsive," she assured him. "I suppose I get it to a certain extent. But all of those gifts come at a price. The inability to walk in the sun, the hunger, the need to kill, the predator instinct. Caroline describes it as a constant battle." Josie bit her lip. "Do you…?"

Elijah smiled warmly. "I'm over a thousand years old, my dear. I assure you I won that battle long ago."

Josie nodded. "Do you ever…" She paused. "I know it wasn't your choice to become a vampire. Do you wish it hadn't happened? That you could have remained human?"

Elijah looked at her thoughtfully. "I try not to wonder or worry about matters over which I have no control."

Josie nodded. That seemed like a healthy attitude to have.

"I wish I felt the same way about my… situation," she said. "Speaking of, I had a vision. That's why I crashed my car." She told him what she saw.

"We mustn't allow that to happen," he said when she'd finished. "I was not aware that Klaus has a white oak dagger in his possession. Now that I know this, I will not allow him to use it against me."

Josie gave him a small smile, still troubled by her vision.

Elijah took her hands in his. "Josie, you cannot allow fear to rule you. You have done everything you can to keep your loved ones safe. I will do everything in my power to stop him. We will have both our families safe at the end."

Josie smiled. Even though he was a big, bad Original, he made her feel safe.

Josie and Elijah talked long into the night, about all sorts of things: his family, his life in the past 1,000 years, Tatia, Katerina, her life, her family, Tyler.

"Are you not tempted to have Klaus complete the ritual?" Elijah asked. "If Tyler were a hybrid, he would be saved the pain of turning every full moon most likely."

Now that Tyler had triggered the curse, it was, in fact, tempting. Of course there was the sire bond issue.

"At what cost, though?" Josie shook her head. "It's best we stop him before. For both our families."

"And if we cannot?" asked Elijah. "It's less than two weeks until the full moon and we are no closer to finding my brother."

Josie sighed. She'd had no more news from Katherine since the hint about 'upstate New York'.

"Then we let him complete the ritual, save Elena through magic and desiccate him after he hands your family over," she said, firmly. "Or not."

Josie frowned. She'd had a vision yesterday of Klaus, eyes threatening tears as Elijah betrayed him by holding him down while Jonas desiccated him. It was hard not to feel a little bad for Klaus.

Elijah raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Josie shrugged. "Every monster deserves some pity. I saw the way his father treated him. Both before and after Mikael found out that he wasn't his son. I saw how your mother turned her back on him to try and appease her husband when Mikael found out she'd been unfaithful. Klaus needs to be stopped, but he's not above pity."

First Damon, then Katherine, now Klaus. She was such a sucker for hard-luck cases. It was the reason she was majoring in social work in her real life.

"You have a rare gift, my dear."

Josie just looked at him in confusion. Did he mean her visions?

"I don't know anyone who has sympathized with my brother in a long time."

Josie smiled. "He can be a true brother to you, Elijah. Maybe one day, long after I'm dead, you'll give him the chance to prove it to you. You deserve to be happy. To be reunited with your family."

Josie let out an involuntary yawn. It was after midnight.

"Perhaps it's time to get some sleep," Elijah said. "Quite an eventful day."

Josie bit her lip. "Can I ask you a question about me?"

Elijah looked at her curiously, as she knew she seemed nervous. "Of course."

"Did Jonas ever figure out more about me? I know I'm not a witch, but I'm curious since I don't seem to fit neatly into any supernatural category."

"No, I'm afraid not."

"Am I not…" she paused. She really didn't want to say it. She felt like she'd been eavesdropping on him and Jonas, even though it had just been a vision. "An Oracle? I'm sorry, I don't mean to see these things, you know, your conversation with Jonas, I can't help it, I'm afraid. I don't mean to be rude."

"It's perfectly alright," Elijah said, smiling. "But, he hasn't found out any more information. Only more legends. You do seem to fit the description. I'm not sure there's anyway to tell, I'm afraid."

Josie nodded. "I guess I should call a cab."

"There's no need. I'm fine on the couch, if you'd like to take the guest bedroom."

She smiled and thanked him before wishing him good night.

The next day, Josie got up and she and Elijah had breakfast at The Tipping Pot. Then, he took her to the shop where her car was and compelled the desk clerk to give her a loaner until her car was repaired. She went home, changed quickly and made it to school just after second period.

Tyler had sent her a text early that morning, saying he wanted to talk at lunch. They met in an empty classroom and he immediately kissed her.

"How are you feeling?" she asked when he broke away. She been thinking about him all day yesterday.

Tyler shook his head. "I don't know, Josie. I killed someone."

"It wasn't your fault. He jumped in front of the car."

"Doesn't make that guy any less dead. The full moon is soon. I'm gonna turn into a wolf and I won't be able to stop it." He sighed. "I'm scared, Josie."

Josie hugged him as hard as she could. "You don't have to do it alone."

Tyler nodded. "I know. I talked with Mason yesterday. He's going to help me."

Josie smiled. "That's great." Then she frowned. "I'm not sure it's safe for him to come back here."

"I know," said Tyler. "That's why I wanted to talk to you. I'm leaving Mystic Falls."

"Wait, what?"

"Mason's pack has a lot of experience helping people adjust to being a werewolf. He thinks they can teach me a lot."

Josie sighed. She didn't want Tyler to leave, but secretly she thought maybe it was a good idea. She still wasn't convinced the guy hadn't been compelled in order to trigger Tyler's curse and with the vision she'd just had, she preferred if Tyler were far away from Mystic Falls come the next full moon.

"You're probably right," nodded Josie. "It's for the best."

Tyler gave her a funny look. "That's it?" he asked. "I tell you I'm leaving and you say 'it's for the best'."

"I'm just agreeing with you," she said, frowning. "I'll miss you, of course, but Mason's pack can help you in ways I can't."

He nodded and kissed her again. He was just deepening the kiss when her phone buzzed. Again and again. Cursing the interruption, she moved to put her phone on silent when she saw it was Elijah.

Tyler scoffed. "Let me guess, the mysterious Em?"

Josie didn't say anything. She didn't want to lie.

"Is it a guy?" he asked.

"It's just someone who's helping with the Elena situation."

"So it's a guy."

"I understand that you have heightened emotions and everything, now that you're a werewolf, but jealousy is really unattractive, Tyler."

"How would you feel if someone was constantly texting me and you didn't even know who it was, Josie?"

Josie bit her lip. "I wouldn't like it."

There were a few seconds of uncomfortable silence before Tyler spoke up. "I think we should take a break."

"What?"

"I can't do this anymore, Josie. The thought of you and some other guy. I was annoyed before. Now I want to break someone's arm off."

Josie's eyes widened at his confession.

"I love you," he said, voice softening as he circled his arms around her. "But you drive me crazy. That's not a good thing right now."

"I love you, too," she said, hugging him tighter, feeling her eyes water. "Maybe you're right."

Tyler kissed her. "Be safe." Then he backed away and walked out of the classroom.

She managed to keep it together until she reached her car. Even though she'd only been at school for two classes, she drove home, collapsed on her bed and spent the rest of the day crying. She knew it was probably for the best, but it cut like a knife.

Elena and Jeremy found her in her room after school and held her as she cried and told them what happened. Told her that it wasn't over and Tyler just needed to figure things out. That they could see how much Tyler loved her and he would be back.

As she tried to escape into sleep that night, she wondered if that were true. Were her and Tyler really over?


	25. The Houseguest & Know Thy Enemy

The next few days were hard for Josie. She couldn't stop thinking about Tyler. Wondering if their break was a break-up or just a pause until he returned. Her friends dragged her to a few parties and while it was a nice distraction from all the supernatural drama, her heartache was like a shadow over everything she did.

The morning after Caroline, Bonnie and Elena had their girls night at the Grill with Jenna, Josie woke up to Elena shaking her.

"Jo, wake up. I need to talk to you."

"What? What is it?" Josie sat bolt upright, fearing the worst. "Oh god, who died?"

"No one," said Elena, shaking her head. "You'll never guess who showed up last night after you went to bed."

Josie rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Who?"

"Isobel."

"What?!" exclaimed Josie.

Why the hell was Isobel here? Why hadn't Katherine contacted her?

"She just showed up. Jenna answered the door. Now she won't come out of her room." Elena sighed, clearly trying to hold tears back. "Jenna knows we all knew Isobel was still alive."

Josie sighed. Poor Jenna. She was the adult in the house and she was completely in the dark on everything important.

"Does she know that Isobel's a vampire?"

Elena shook her head.

"What does Isobel want?" asked Josie.

"I don't know," said Elena. "She and John were working together before. Maybe they are again."

"But John wants to protect you."

Elena raised her eyebrows. "So he says. I don't trust either of them." She paused. "You don't think she's working for Klaus?"

Josie smiled. Elena could be smart, at times. Though Josie hoped she was wrong in this instance.

"I hope not," said Josie, shaking her head. "We should be careful though, just in case."

Elena nodded. "We'll have to hope that Elijah holds up his end of the bargain. And keep the moonstone safe."

"Bonnie's done a good job of that so far," smiled Josie, thinking it had been a good idea to give her the moonstone. No one except their little group knew where it was, not even Uncle John, and they were all drinking vervain, even the vampires.

Elena nodded. "I called Alaric. I thought maybe he could help with Jenna."

"Okay," yawned Josie. "I'll get ready and join you downstairs."

Once Elena was gone, Josie grabbed her phone and called Katherine. When she didn't get an answer, she sent a text. Josie was confused. Why the hell was Isobel in town and Katherine wasn't? She hoped nothing had happened to Katherine. Had she betrayed Josie and their deal?

Sighing, Josie got out of bed and got ready. She was just coming down the stairs when Alaric punched Uncle John in the face. Alaric mumbled an apology and left.

"You know this is your fault, right?" said Elena to John, snidely.

Josie frowned. How was this John's fault? He wasn't the one who insisted on keeping Jenna in the dark.

To his credit, John accepted the blame without question. "Right," said John, nodding his head.

Elena scoffed. "Jenna left because Isobel is back," she said to Josie. "She's staying on campus for a few days."

Josie nodded as Elena passed her, walking up the stairs.

"You okay?" asked Josie, walking down the stairs and coming to stand in front of John.

John nodded. "I'll be fine."

"I'll get you an ice pack," she said, moving into the kitchen.

An hour later, Josie was reading in her room when John knocked on the door, beckoning her to join him, Stefan and Elena downstairs. Josie was only slightly surprised to see Isobel standing in the Gilbert kitchen. She was more surprised, however, when Isobel starting spewing lines from the show. The lines she'd spoken when she'd been under Klaus' compulsion.

After Elena dismissed Isobel and her offer of help, Josie left the house and called Elijah. She told him of Isobel's strange behavior and he agreed they must locate her immediately. Knowing that Isobel had favored expensive foreclosures, it didn't take long for Josie and Elijah to track down Isobel.

"I wondered when you'd come," said Isobel, as Josie and Elijah walked into the foreclosed house. "The dagger I gave to John didn't quite take did it?"

Elijah sped over to Isobel and grabbed her by the neck. "You know who I am?" he asked, voice dangerously low.

"Of course."

"And yet you are not afraid," he said, gripping her neck tighter. "He must have compelled you then."  
Suddenly, Josie was grabbed from behind and she could feel a hand around her neck.

"You don't think he sent me here alone?" asked Isobel, eyes sliding over to where Josie was being held tightly.

Elijah followed Isobel's eyes and saw Josie being held by an unknown vampire. Before Elijah could say anything, Josie heard the vampire behind her groan. Turning around, she saw a stake poking through his heart and his face go all grey and veiny. As the vampire fell to the ground, Josie saw the smirking face of Katherine Pierce.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, stake in hand. "Miss me?"

Josie laughed and rolled her eyes. "Where have you been? I've been calling you all day."

Katherine's eyes narrowed and she looked over at Isobel. "She snapped my neck when she realized I'd figured out she was working for Klaus."

Katherine sped over to Isobel and snapped her neck. "Just returning the favor."

Glancing nervously at Elijah, took a wary step back.

"We're on the same side," said Josie, trying to ease Katherine's fears of Elijah. "I told him that you and I were working together to track down Klaus."

Elijah fixed Katherine with a hard stare. "If you help us defeat him, I have assured Josie I mean you no harm, Katerina."

Katherine narrowed her eyes, clearly trying to decide if Elijah was telling the truth. Finally, she relented. "He's in a small town just over the border of Pennsylvania."

"Great, let's go," said Josie, moving toward the door.

"No, Josie," said Elijah, placing a gentle hand on her arm. "It's too dangerous. I will go. You will remain here, under the Martins' protection."

"How are you going to desiccate him without Jonas?" asked Josie, confused.

"Let's make sure he's truly there before we go in, what is the expression, 'guns blazing'."

Katherine raised an eyebrow. "Don't trust me, Elijah?"

"I won't be gone long," said Elijah, ignoring Katherine's remark.

Josie and Elijah left Katherine to tie Isobel up and Elijah dropped Josie off at her house, with assurances that the Martins would be keeping a close eye on her and Elena until Elijah returned.

Josie decided to go with Elena to the Lockwood luncheon, thinking there were strength in numbers. Uncle John, Bonnie, Stefan and Damon agreed because they decided to go to the luncheon as well. With all that protection, there were no disturbances at the luncheon like there had been in the original storyline.

Uncle John, Josie, Elena and the Salvatores were in the parking lot when Josie heard Elena gasp. To her shock, she saw Isobel standing behind Elena, her hands closed around her throat.

"What are you doing here?" asked Josie.

How did Isobel escape? Had Katherine let her go? Isobel just looked at her with a blank expression.

At that moment, several more vampires came and attacked. One grabbed Josie roughly and she could only watch as Uncle John was killed almost instantly, though he had his Gilbert Ring on, so it wasn't permanent.

The Salvatores were fighting a losing battle though, as they were vastly outnumbered. Stefan had his neck snapped within a minute and the vampires he'd been fighting turned to Damon, stakes in hand. Klaus clearly still had some affection for the younger Salvatore, due to their shared history, but Damon hadn't been given the same protections. Just as one of them was about to stake Damon, all of the vampires, including Isobel and the one holding Josie clutched their heads.

Josie whipped around to see Jonas, Luka and Bonnie with their hands outstretched. Before anyone could say anything, Damon grabbed a stake and proceeded to kill all of the vampires that had attacked them, except for Isobel.

"Wait!" shouted Elena, just as Damon was about to stake her birth mother. "Don't!"

"She's working for him!" growled Damon. "For Klaus."

"What if she's been compelled?" asked Elena.

Damon frowned and turned to Isobel. "Well?"

"Even if I were compelled, I couldn't tell you," said Isobel.

Damon sighed and released Isobel. "What do you want to do with her?"

Before Elena could reply, Isobel grabbed the stake out of Damon's hand and shoved it into her own chest. Everyone just looked at her in shock as she turned grey.

Damon was the first to speak. "Yeah, I did not see that coming."

"Why would she do that?" asked Elena.

"Klaus must have compelled her to kill herself if she failed," supplied Jonas.

Josie bit her lip. Something didn't feel right. Why would Isobel have attacked them when they had so many vampires and witches for protection? What had Isobel done to Katherine?

"I guess you were right this morning, Elena. She was working for Klaus," sighed Josie.

Elena looked at her confused. "What do you mean, Jo? I never said Isobel was working for Klaus?"

Josie frowned. "Yeah, you did. When you woke me up this morning."

"I didn't wake you up this morning," said Elena, shaking her head.

"Yeah, you did. You told me Isobel showed up and then we talked about the moonstone…" Josie trailed off, her heart dropping in her stomach. "Oh my god, it was Katherine."

Damon sped in front of her and gripped her shoulders tightly. "Josie, tell me you didn't tell Katherine where the moonstone is."

"Fuck!" shouted Josie, looking over at Bonnie. "I told her it was at your house."

Without another word, Bonnie ran to her car and sped off. But everyone knew it was too late.

"It was a trick," said Damon, releasing Josie. "All of this was just a distraction, so he could get Katherine to steal the moonstone from Bonnie's."

Josie looked over at Jonas and Luka, wondering if they were thinking the same thing she was. Had Katherine and Klaus' minions gone to the Martins' apartment during the distraction to retrieve the Grimoire with the desiccation spell? It seemed likely, given Katherine had apparently sent Elijah to Pennsylvania on a wild-goose chase.

Josie was furious. Katherine was under Klaus' compulsion. He had fooled her. Not only that, but Klaus knew what Katherine knew. Klaus knew Josie was working with Elijah. He knew Josie was planning to desiccate him. He knew Josie had visions, though thankfully she'd implied they were nothing special and that most of her knowledge came from Lexi. It was a small comfort.

All of a sudden, she was hit with a vision. She saw Elijah sitting in a packed café. Couples chatted jovially in the booths, old men sat at the counter, trying unsuccessfully to flirt with the waitresses. In the blink of an eye, every single person in the café turned to Elijah and attacked.

Some were vampires, some were witches and others were just random people. Elijah put up quite a fight, but between his surprise at being attacked in broad daylight in a crowded café and the sheer number against him, especially witches, he was eventually subdued and a silver dagger thrust into his heart.

When Josie came back to reality, the others were still talking about what had happened, postulating on Klaus' next move, etc. Josie excused herself, saying she needed to go to the bathroom, and headed toward the Lockwood mansion. She pulled out her phone the second she was out of earshot and called Elijah.

Thankfully, he picked up on the first ring.

"Where are you?" she blurted out, not wasting time for greetings.

"I was just about to stop into a coffee shop on my way out of town. Unfortunately, it appears Niklaus has moved on from this place."

"Don't go in, Elijah. It's a trap. Everyone in there is working for Klaus. They're going to dagger you."

There was a loud whoosh, letting Josie know that Elijah had sped out of there.

"Thank you, my dear."

"Don't thank me yet," she said, frowning. She looked up and saw Elena walking towards her. "I have to go. Call Jonas. He'll fill you in. I'm sorry."

She hung up, made an excuse to Elena, and followed her sister back to the parking lot. The Martins had already departed, so Josie and Elena went with the Salvatores to the Boarding House, taking John's body with them.

"You okay?" Josie asked Elena as they sat on the couch in the living room. Elena was fingering Isobel's daylight necklace.

Elena nodded. "I never thought I would feel bad that she was dead, but…" Elena trailed off.

"She was your mother," said Stefan, coming to sit across from Josie and Elena.

"What I don't understand is why didn't they take me?" asked Elena. "Klaus' plan worked perfectly. He needs the moonstone and the doppelganger, but I'm still here."

Stefan shrugged. "Well, anything John told Isobel, we have to assume Klaus knows, right? He knows you're not going to turn yourself into a vampire. He knows you have us keeping you safe."

"He knows I'm not going to run," said Elena.

"Which is why we need to take some precautions," said Damon, striding into the room. He slapped a stack of papers into Elena's lap and the two brothers explained that they were giving the house to Elena, so that she could be safe there.

After Uncle John woke up and apologized profusely for trusting Isobel and Katherine (not that Josie hadn't made that same mistake), Josie and Uncle John went back to the Gilbert House, leaving Elena with the Salvatores.

As soon as she was safely in her room, Josie dialed Elijah.

"Hello."

"Hey, Elijah."

"It seems I missed quite the exciting day. I just got off the phone with Jonas."

"Yeah, you were right," said Josie, sighing. "Both Isobel and Katherine were under his compulsion. He tricked us. He has the Grimoire with the desiccation spell and the stone from Bonnie's. And he knows you and I were planning to desiccate him."

Elijah sighed. "It wasn't entirely unexpected. Even if his trap failed, he succeeded in removing me from Mystic Falls today."

"When will you be back?"

"Later tonight." He paused. "Is it safe?"

Josie smiled. "Yes, I have it right here in my hand. Along with the copy of the desiccation spell."

"Good."

Josie bit her lip. "How long will it take Klaus to figure out the moonstone Katherine stole was a fake?"

"Not long," Elijah admitted. "But it gives us the advantage. It has been many years since anyone successfully deceived him, paranoid as he is. He will be desperate to regain control of the moonstone. Without it, the curse cannot be unbroken."

Josie frowned. "A desperate Klaus sounds dangerous."

"Perhaps, but also more likely to make a mistake. "

"I hope you're right," said Josie, shaking her head. "I'd hate to piss him off just so he can come rip out my heart and steal the moonstone out from under us."

"I would not allow that to happen."

Josie nodded, wishing she shared his confidence. "Drive safe, Elijah." And she hung up.

She was just about to crawl into bed when her phone started ringing. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw Katherine's name flash across the screen.

It was Klaus. It had to be. He knew. Knew the moonstone was fake. Knew he'd been tricked. Knew Josie was working with Elijah to desiccate him. She debated not answering, but what would he do if she didn't?

Taking a deep breath and wishing that Elijah weren't so far away, she answered.

"Hello."

"Hello, Josie."

Josie was stunned. It was him. Real Klaus was calling. Not Alaric or some proxy. She hadn't expected that.

"Where's Katherine?" she asked, fearful of the answer.

"Katerina is paying for her failure today."

Josie cringed. Poor Katherine.

"Failure?" Josie feigned ignorance.

"Let's not play games, shall we? I know about your and Elijah's little plot to kill me. Perhaps I'd be willing to forgive your scheming if you hand over the real stone."

Josie fought to keep her voice even. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't test me. I will slaughter all of Mystic Falls."

"Elijah…" she began, but Klaus cut her off.

"You think he can stop me? Where was Elijah today? Where was he when your little wolf's curse was triggered?"

Josie clenched her teeth, furious. She knew it hadn't been an accident.

"Stay away from Tyler."

His tone dropped to a deadly whisper. "You will give me the stone, Josie. I'll be seeing you soon. Much sooner than you think."


	26. The Last Dance

The line went dead and Josie tried to keep calm as she dialed Elijah. He actually seemed pleased that Klaus had called, saying his direct threats were a clear sign he was desperate. Klaus hadn't directly threatened anyone in decades. How flattering, she thought. Still, the day had been awful, so she was glad someone could see a silver lining.

She knew that Klaus was definitely in Alaric's body, given he hadn't joined the Scooby meeting earlier and Damon had complained that he hadn't responded to any texts. Of course they had no idea where the real Klaus was. With Katherine falling to Klaus' compulsion and without a vision to guide her, it was impossible to predict his next move.

Elijah promised he and the Martins would keep an eye on things. Elijah doubted that Klaus would go for an all-out assault while still inhabiting the weaker, human body. His next move was likely to be more subtle, manipulative. Elijah thought the best course of action was to avoid Alaric/Klaus as much as possible, thereby drawing out the real Klaus. Josie hoped he was right.

The next day at school went by slowly. History was her class just after lunch, so she avoided Alaric's classroom all morning, thoroughly rattled by Klaus' chilling phone call the night before.

She arrived to her history class just as the bell rang and she slid into her seat behind Jeremy. Nothing much happened during class, though she thought that Alaric's eyes flickered to her more than normal, but maybe she was just being paranoid.

Finally, the bell rang and she got up with the rest of the class to leave.

"Josie!" Alaric was calling her to the front of the classroom. "Can I have a word?"

Josie plastered on a smile and walked to the desk, making sure she was the person closest to the door. The door was open, thankfully, and full of students and faculty passing.

"What's up?" she asked, trying to sound casual. Not like she was talking to the most dangerous man on the planet who probably wanted her dead for trying to make him dead.

"I heard what happened yesterday," he said in a low voice. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, dismissively. "If I got upset every time some vampire threatened me, I'd be upset 24/7."

Her confident words were mostly for effect, but she was surprised to realize it was true. She'd just gotten used to it, living here.

"If you want to talk about it, I'm here," Alaric said, his face the picture of empathy.

Josie internally marveled at Klaus' acting abilities. She was curious what his goal here was. Get her to lower her guard enough to reveal where the moonstone was? She really didn't want to stick around to find out. Avoid Alaric had been Elijah's advice. She agreed.

"I'm fine," she repeated, backing away. "I've got to get to Math. See ya, Ric!"

She turned on her heel and left, not giving him a chance to say another word. She saw his frown out of the corner of her eye, but kept walking, grateful to put some distance between them.

Josie was starting to breathe a bit easier as she walked to her last class of the day. She hadn't seen Alaric at all after her history class. She remembered there had been some shenanigans at the dance, but given the stern lecture Stefan and Damon had given Elena that morning, she doubted anyone would be going to the dance that night.

Of course, that was all ruined when Elena came up to her before her last class and informed her that Klaus had compelled a student to say Klaus wanted Elena to save him the last dance tonight. Elena rushed off, saying they were going to come up with a plan and they'd talk later.

Damn, she'd forgotten about Klaus' creepy message to Elena about the dance. Stefan called her as school let out, telling her they were all meeting up at the Boarding House to discuss plans for the dance. Once again, she was grateful for Elijah's compulsion of Stefan to include her in everything.

"I'm just getting in my car," she said into the phone. "I'll be there soon, Stefan."

She hung up the phone and got her keys out when she heard a voice behind her.

"Hey Josie."

She whirled around, heart pounding at the sound of Alaric's voice.

"Hey Ric, how's it going?" she asked, casually.

"Good. You heading to the Boarding house? Damon texted me. Apparently, there's news on the Klaus front."

"Yeah, guess I'll see you there," she said, opening her door.

"Can I have a ride? One of the other teachers needed to borrow my car."

Josie forced herself to remain calm. She was incredibly grateful that Alaric was only human, as she was sure the real Klaus would be able to hear her heart trying to beat out of her chest. Being alone with him in a car was completely different to a classroom with an open door, in a school packed full of people. She couldn't think of any reasonable excuse to refuse him though.

"Of course," she said, smiling. "Hop in."

He climbed in beside her. If he noticed that she kept her purse on her lap (that held her everyday weapons, including her travel-size white oak stake), he didn't say anything. Alaric was still stronger than her, but at least she stood a chance against him. If Klaus were really here…

"So do you know what the Klaus news is?" asked Alaric, as they pulled out of the parking lot.

She gripped the steering wheel and reminded herself that she was driving and it was very unlikely he would do anything to her in the car.

"He's coming to the dance tonight," she said. "Elena got a creepy message from one of our classmates at lunch."

Alaric looked confused. "The dance? Why the dance?"

Josie looked over at the face she knew so well. He looked like the same old Alaric.

She shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe because he's a creeper who wants to look at teenage girls in dresses? I mean, if he's so powerful and everything, why doesn't he just come to town and steal Elena? Why all the games?"

Alaric's face had darkened momentarily at her 'creeper' suggestion'. "Maybe he likes to play with his food before he eats it."

"Eww… Ric, really?"

Is that what Klaus was doing right now? Playing with her? His food? Had that been why Tyler's curse was triggered? Was it just a fucking game to him?

Then she had an idea. A really bad, no-good idea. But her fury for Tyler's curse being triggered hadn't abated much since last night and she realized she could play with her food too.

"Maybe all those rumors we heard about Klaus were true?" she pondered.

"Rumors?"

"Oh, you know," said Josie. "That the reason he never shows his face is because he's deformed."

"Deformed?" frowned Alaric.

Josie nodded. "I heard that he was in an accident before he became a vampire and he's like a Frankenstein or something. Plus, you know," she said, voice dropping to a whisper. "Completely impotent."

To the casual observer, Alaric looked perfectly calm, but Josie could see the subtle signs of annoyance and anger: the tightening of his jaw, the clenched fists.

"Impotent?" he asked.

"Like a Ken doll." Josie nodded casually, but inside she was wondering what the hell was wrong with her.

"Where did you hear that?" he asked, looking as though he were exerting a great deal of self-control.

Josie shrugged. "Around. I mean, who knows if it's true, but I think for sure he's got some kind of complex. Because of how paranoid they say he is? Maybe it's Napoleon, so he's like a dwarf or maybe Oedipal, something with his mother…" she trailed off, enjoying Alaric's face straining to not contort in rage.

"Anyway," she continued, figuring she'd better stop poking the beast. "The important point is that he may or may not be at the dance tonight." She paused. "Ric, are you okay? You look uncomfortable."

"I'm fine," he said, tensely, clearly his desire to blend in outweighing his anger at her derogatory comments. "Any news on Elijah?"

Josie shook her head. "Nope."

"No idea what he's up to?" asked Alaric.

Did he really think she was going to blurt out that she and Elijah were working together? The real Alaric didn't know anything about that.

"Nope. We haven't heard from him since the dinner party. Where you tried and failed to dagger him."

"But he promised to keep Elena safe from Klaus," said Alaric.

"He did."

"Think he'll be at the dance?"

"I'm not his keeper, Ric, jeez. Why are you asking me all these questions about Elijah?"

Alaric looked properly admonished and didn't continue his line of questioning about Elijah, probably because he was worried about breaking his cover. Instead he tried a different tactic.

"Too bad Klaus has the moonstone," said Alaric.

Josie shrugged. "What difference does it make?"

She knew it made all the difference in the world, but she wanted to hear what he said.

"Maybe he'd be willing to negotiate."

Josie put a confused look on her face, but inside, she was smiling. She could fish for information too.

"Negotiate for what? Elena has to die to complete the ritual."

Alaric shrugged. "Maybe there's a way to keep her alive through magic, like my ring? Klaus must know witches."

"Maybe. Too bad we don't have the moonstone, though," she said, letting out an exaggerated sigh.

So maybe he was willing to negotiate? That was interesting.

They pulled up to the Boarding House and walked inside. Bonnie, Elena, Stefan and Damon were already there.

"Hey guys," said Josie. "I filled Alaric in on the way concerning Klaus' creepy lunchtime message about the dance."

"Good," said Stefan.

"So what's the plan?" asked Alaric.

"I'm gonna need you to put me down as a chaperone tonight," Damon told Alaric.

Josie frowned. "Why? Don't tell me we're considering going to the dance. If Klaus is going to be at the dance, let's not be there."

What the hell would that accomplish? Bonnie didn't have any enhanced witch powers. Unfortunately, Elijah was still searching for the witch burial ground for Jonas. Josie, for the life of her, had been trying to figure out where it was, but couldn't remember how they'd found it in the original storyline.

"Why not?" asked Damon. "He's made a move. He has Katherine and the moonstone. We can't just sit around waiting for him to pick Elena up and carry her off to be sacrificed. No, we go to the dance and find him."

"Really? How are we going to do that?" asked Stefan. "We don't even know what he looks like."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Something tells me he's not going to be 16 and pimply."

"He could be anywhere," said Stefan. "He compelled somebody at school. Guess it's not as safe as you guys thought, huh?" He raised an eyebrow to Bonnie and Elena.

"What about Elijah?" asked Elena.

Damon scoffed. "We can't trust Elijah. Where the hell was he yesterday when Isobel was attacking us and Katherine was stealing the moonstone?"

"Jonas said he was indisposed," said Bonnie.

"What the hell does that mean?" asked Damon, rolling his eyes. "For all we know, he's been working with Klaus from the start. No, we find Klaus tonight. We stake him. He goes grey and veiny like Elijah. Then we pump him full of vervain, lock him up in the basement and figure out what to do with him later."

"What kind of a plan is that?" asked Josie, crossing her arms. "He's an Original. You're gonna stake him, just like that?"

Damon sped to stand directly in front of her and growled. "If you have a better plan, I'm all ears."

"We stay home and don't let a crazy psychopath lure us into a trap," said Josie, looking Damon in the eye and not backing down.

"No, Jo, I have to go," said Elena, coming to stand between Josie and Damon. "What will Klaus do if I don't show up? The whole school's going to be there."

Josie sighed, realizing they were not going to be deterred.

In the end, they all agreed everyone would go to the dance, armed to the teeth with anti-vampire weapons. Josie only hoped that Elijah was right and Klaus was just spying on the Scoobies, seeing how much resistance they could provide. When Josie called Elijah, he reiterated his belief that Klaus would probably just cower inside Alaric and, possibly, attempt to persuade the information out of Josie. Elijah said Luka would be attending the dance as a student, just in case.

Josie arrived at the dance with Jeremy and Anna. Annoyed at being dateless, she soon left them to find her friends. She spotted Alaric dancing along, not very well. She laughed, thinking he did not look like the biggest, baddest vampire at the moment.

After Klaus' dedication to Elena, everyone was visibly shaken. Of course, they couldn't find anyone who didn't belong, so they went their separate ways. She was hanging out with Bridget and Tracy when Damon came up to her.

He tilted his head. "Dance with me."

Josie smiled and let him lead her to the dance floor.

"You know I don't think we've ever done this," he said as he twirled her around.

She laughed. "I think we skipped this part."

Damon smirked. "We covered the most important parts."

Josie rolled her eyes. "No sign of Klaus, huh?"

"Not since his special dedication," said Damon, frowning. "How you holding up?"

"I'm fine," she shrugged.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "I know you better than that, Josie."

She sighed. "I miss Tyler," she admitted. "The whole Klaus thing is very distracting, but we were supposed to go to this dance together."

"He'll be back," said Damon, dipping her. "Only a complete moron would let you get away."

Josie frowned. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"I need a reason?"

"Usually."

Damon smiled sadly. "I know what it's like to have the person you love just vanish." He kissed her cheek. "I'm going to go check on Elena."

Josie nodded and looked over to where Alaric was standing. She'd been keeping a subtle eye on him since she arrived at the dance, as had Luka, the only other person who knew who Alaric really was. So far the history teacher hadn't done anything out of the ordinary, just talked to some of the other teachers and surveyed the crowd.

Josie needed to use the restroom and, even though she felt a little silly, she cajoled Anna into going with her.

"This is driving me crazy," said Josie, as she came out of the stall. "There's only an hour left of the dance. When can we call it quits on Damon's ridiculous plan?"

"We have to be patient."

"Hey, how's your mom?" Josie asked.

Anna sighed. "She didn't want me to come. She's afraid I'll end up dead for standing up to Klaus."

"It's not a completely unfounded fear," said Josie, raising an eyebrow.

Anna shook her head. "I love Jeremy. And you and Elena, too. You saved my mom's life. Maybe mine too. I haven't forgotten."

Josie smiled. They were walking out of the bathroom when Alaric came up to them.

"Klaus has Jeremy. Damon said he saw him heading out the back of the school."

Anna was a blur before Alaric even finished his sentence. Josie's eyes widened in fear. Some bodyguard.

"Jeremy?" asked Josie, heading back towards the dance, knowing it was a trick and hoping she could somehow get away from Alaric.

"Josie, wait," said Alaric, grabbing her arm. "Let Anna, Stefan and Damon handle it. You don't stand a chance against Klaus."

Josie bristled at that. She didn't think she'd done bad so far.

"Jeremy's my brother." She tried to shake his hand on her arm. "Let go of me, Alaric," said Josie, daring him to break his cover.

Alaric looked conflicted and then he sighed. "Fine, but let's go to my classroom and get my crossbow."

She spewed out the first lie that came to mind. "I don't know how to use a crossbow."

"Well I want one," said Alaric, tugging her towards his classroom.

"Well you go get one, and I'll go find Jeremy."

"It's not safe, Josie, come with me."

He was still pulling at her, not letting go. She couldn't get away, Alaric was too strong, so she decided to try for the element of surprise.

"Let me go, Klaus!" she screamed.

The words had their intended effect. His eyes went wide and he released her. She ran as fast as she could, hoping that her youth would prevail over Alaric's considerably longer legs. However, as she turned the corner, she ran right into the arms of Katherine Pierce. Josie opened her mouth to scream again, but Katherine's hand was over it before she got a chance.  
The world blurred crazily and she found herself inside a classroom. To her horror, she saw Luka handcuffed to a nearby desk, unconscious. Luka, the only other person who could have gotten Elijah here tonight. Fuck.

Looking down at her wrist, Josie saw she was in a similar predicament, with one cuff attached to her wrist and the other around the neck of the desk.

"Help!" she screamed. Oddly, Katherine did nothing to stop her. "Katherine, please."

Katherine just looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry, Josie."

"Come on, there must be some loophole in his compulsion!" Hadn't Damon said that at some point? Then she remembered and dropped her voice to a whisper. "Katherine, look in my purse. There's a bottle of vervain water in there."

Katherine sped over to Josie's purse and took out the bottle. She just managed to resume her previous spot, leaning against the teacher's desk when Alaric and his warlock (Maddox was it?) walked in and closed the door behind them.

"Let me go!" shouted Josie, more so the vampires in the building could hear her, rather than thinking he would actually let her go.

Alaric just smiled. "Shout to your heart's content. Maddox here prepared this room especially for tonight. Nothing can penetrate these walls. Not screaming, not locator spells. If anyone looks in, all they'll see is a dark, empty classroom."

Josie's stomach dropped. So much for Elijah's theory that there wouldn't be an all-out assault. She forced herself to breathe, but she was terrified. Klaus wouldn't hesitate to kill her. She was pretty sure the only thing keeping her alive right now was the moonstone. Of course, that was also probably why she was there.

She tugged at her handcuff. "Kidnapping me won't get you the moonstone."

"Oh are we playing the truth game now?" mocked Alaric, coming to stand in front of Josie. "Instead of pretending you don't know who I am. That you don't know where Elijah is. That you don't have my moonstone?"

Josie just looked at him stonily.

Alaric pulled up a chair and straddled it backwards, sitting directly in front of Josie.

"What was it that gave me away, hmm? Was it all the questions about Elijah? The moonstone?"

Josie decided it was safer to answer him. "Elijah told me body possession was one of your favorite tricks." She paused. "I talked to you twice today and you didn't mention Jenna once."

Alaric had a sour expression "Elijah was always a buzzkill," he said, shaking his head. "I fooled everyone else."

"Yeah, how'd you do that?" asked Josie, genuinely curious. "Everyone is on vervain. Not just wearing it. Drinking it."

At this, Maddox spoke up from the chair he was sitting in. "There are other ways to get information out of people."

Josie frowned, thinking they must have used a similar spell that Bonnie used on Luka in the original storyline.

"You didn't notice that Jeremy wasn't home last night?" asked Alaric, arrogantly.

Josie had assumed he'd been over at Anna's. She tugged on her handcuff again in frustration. She hated being tricked. She'd gotten so used to having the upper hand all the time here, having that control.

"Stay away from Jeremy, you bastard," she said, angrily, tugging and tugging on her handcuff.

"She's mouthy," Alaric remarked, looking at Maddox. "Don't think I've forgotten your 'witty' comments in the car."

Josie gulped, remembering the disparaging things she'd said about Klaus.

She tried for innocence. "I was just relaying rumors I'd heard. Don't blame the messenger." Then she had an idea. One that could help lure Klaus here. "Why don't you come to Mystic Falls and prove me wrong?"

She was rewarded with the dirtiest look she had ever seen on Alaric's face.

Josie's eyes went wide. "I meant about the deformed face!" she said hastily, suddenly remembering she'd talked about Klaus' supposed impotence. "Not about the impotence thing…"

"I can prove you wrong on both counts, you know," he said, lasciviously.

She closed her eyes and tried to remember this was Klaus and not Alaric. "Ric is my teacher. He's dating my aunt, for fuck's sake." She shivered involuntarily. "Can we just move on? What do you want?"

There was a pause in which Josie figured he was trying to decide whether or not to continue making her uncomfortable or get to his point. Thankfully, he decided to move on.

"The moonstone, of course" said Alaric, pulling off her wristwatch. "Open your eyes."

Josie did as he asked, figuring she was about to be compelled.

"Where is the moonstone?" he compelled.

"Didn't Katherine tell you I can't be compelled?" asked Josie, raising an eyebrow and looking over at her.

"She did," said Alaric, frowning. "There are some people who have been trained to resist compulsion, but I've refined my technique over many centuries."

Josie smiled meanly. "My father was a vampire hunter. He trained me from a young age to resist compulsion. My siblings never caught on like I did."

Alaric looked hard at her. "She's not a witch, is she?" he asked Maddox.

Maddox shook his head. "Nothing supernatural about her," he confirmed.

Josie's face remained impassive, but inside she was jumping for joy. Elijah had warned her about Klaus finding out her secret. Now it seemed he never would.

Alaric smiled. "Katherine told me about your claim of having visions. Obviously that was a lie to cover up your alliance with Elijah."

"He didn't want anyone to know he was involved," said Josie, feeding the lie.

"Is it he who has the moonstone?"

Josie answered his question with one of her own. "Were you being honest before? Would you be willing to negotiate?"

"Why would I negotiate when I have all the control here?" Alaric asked, smirking.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that."

Josie felt a sigh of relief at the sound of Elijah's voice. Elijah blurred into the room and before Josie could register what had happened, Katherine's neck was snapped, Maddox was thrown against the wall violently and both Luka and Josie's handcuffs were removed.

Josie got up and rubbed her wrist. Jonas came running into the room and crouched near Luka.

"Good to see you, Brother," said Alaric, eyeing the door.

"Is it?" asked Elijah, eyebrow raised. "Seems as though you were trying to keep me out of this room. Tell me, why is that?"

"I wasn't going to harm the girl," said Alaric, his eyes flickering to Josie who had come to stand next to Elijah.

Josie scoffed. "Now who's lying?"

Alaric glared at her. "I just want the moonstone."

"Then come and ask for it yourself, Klaus," said Josie, crossing her arms.

Alaric narrowed his eyes. "What do you want in return?"

Elijah stepped forward, subtly placing himself between Josie and Alaric. "You heard her, Niklaus. Face me like a man and then we'll talk."

Alaric motioned to Maddox to get Katherine.

"Leave her alone!" said Josie, moving forward, but Elijah stopped her.

"No doubt she has been compelled to return to him," said Elijah.

"Dear Katerina," said Alaric, shaking his head. "I should thank you for sending her in my path. Much like your precious little wolf."

Josie frowned. "What does that mean?"

Alaric smirked. "You'll soon find out."

Josie narrowed her eyes. She wanted to slap that smirk off his face. She'd worked so hard to keep Tyler from triggering his curse and Klaus had ruined it.

"If you hurt Tyler," Josie started for him, but Elijah grabbed her.

Alaric chuckled. "She's much more spirited than your usual fare, Elijah."

"Leave, Niklaus," said Elijah, still gripping Josie.

Maddox carried Katherine out of the classroom with Alaric following close behind.

Josie turned toward Elijah and launched herself into his arms, so relieved he was there.

"How did you find us?" asked Josie, feeling safe with Elijah's arms around her and her head buried in his chest.

"I told you I'm very familiar with all of Klaus' favorite tricks. When I heard you scream Klaus' name and then couldn't find you or Luka, well let's just say Jonas can be very determined when it comes to his children."

"You heard me? I thought you were laying low tonight? That you didn't want to scare Klaus off from coming for real?"

Before Elijah could respond, she heard a voice from the doorway of the classroom.

"Josie?"

She lifted her head from Elijah's chest and saw Elena and Stefan standing there. Quickly followed by Bonnie, Damon, Anna and Jeremy.

Josie jumped out of Elijah's arms. "This isn't what it looks like." She cringed at the clichéd statement.

"Really? Because it looks like you snuck out of the dance to hook up with an Original," said Damon, cocking an eyebrow.

"Don't be ridiculous, Damon," said Josie, rolling her eyes.

Luka's coughing distracted everyone.

"Oh my god, Luka," said Bonnie, rushing forward. "What happened here?"

"And has anybody seen Alaric?" asked Anna, frowning. "He told me that Jeremy had been kidnapped by Klaus, but he was fine."

Josie looked at Elijah. He was the one who insisted they keep everything a secret.

Elijah looked back at Josie and sighed. "I think, perhaps, it's time we all sat down together."

Josie smiled.

"Not tonight," said Elijah, eyeing the clock on the wall. "Luka needs tending to and I have a few things that need doing. I shall be at the Boarding House tomorrow at ten. Just know that Josie was sworn to secrecy at my request."

Josie felt a wave of gratitude at his last statement. Elijah nodded at Josie and then helped Jonas and Luka exit the classroom.

Everyone was silent until Elijah had departed.

"What's going on, Josie?" asked Elena. "Are you okay? Luka looked awful."

"I'm fine," said Josie. "Can we talk about it tomorrow? I just want to go home."

"I don't think so," said Damon, blocking her way out of the classroom. "Start talking. Right now."

Josie sighed. "Fine. Abridged version? Klaus is possessing Alaric's body. Anytime you talked to Alaric today, you were actually talking to Klaus. Elijah and I are… allies. Just allies," she said, looking at Damon pointedly. "I made a deal with Elijah a while ago to try and take Klaus out, but he wouldn't help me unless I kept our deal a secret."

"What deal?" asked Elena.

"How could you not tell us about Alaric?" said Damon, getting in Josie's face. "He could have killed us. He could have taken Elena."

"I'm sorry, you guys," said Josie, looking at their hurt faces and backing away from Damon. "I couldn't tell you. Alaric… I had the situation under control."

"You've got to be kidding me," said Damon, sarcastically.

"He didn't go after Elena," spat Josie. "Isn't that all you care about? Come on, you guys know I wouldn't do anything to put anyone in danger."

"How the hell are we supposed to trust anything you say?" growled Damon. "You've been sneaking around with Elijah behind our backs. How do we know you're not working for Klaus?"

At that, Josie lost it. Between being kidnapped tonight and the revelation that Klaus had triggered Tyler's curse and kidnapped Jeremy, however temporarily, she was furious. Damon just happen to be the easiest target.

"Fuck you, Damon," she shouted and lunged for him.

Stefan immediately sped between the two of them, throwing his brother across the room and holding Josie back.

"I'm the one he took and handcuffed to a fucking desk," Josie screamed, still trying to get to Damon, who was getting up from the floor.

"Stop it!" shouted Elena, her face distraught. "Both of you! Just stop! Damon, Josie is my sister. And I trust Elijah."

Josie stopped struggling against Stefan, her anger somewhat mitigated by Elena's trusting words.

Damon and Josie just glared at each other, still angry, but both unwilling to make the first move.

"Come on, Jo," said Elena, coming forward and wrapping an arm around Josie. "Stefan and I will take you home."


	27. Klaus

The next morning, Josie was downstairs at quarter to ten and Jeremy drove them to the Boarding House, though he didn't utter a word to her the entire time.

When they arrived, everyone else was there: Elena, Stefan, Damon, Bonnie, Caroline, and Anna. Josie felt nervous as she entered the living room, a feeling perpetuated when all conversation stopped as soon as they saw her behind Jeremy. Josie gave an awkward smile and went to sit in a chair to the side.

The awkward silence continued until 10 a.m. when Elijah, Jonas and Luka arrived. After everyone said their hellos, Elijah got right down to business. He told them how he was Klaus' half-brother, about the Original Family, how the curse of the sun and moon was fake, what the real curse was, Mikael igniting the war between the species, etc.

"This is all very fascinating," cut in Damon, sarcastically. "But can we skip to the part where you made a deal with Josie to 'take care of' Klaus for us and save Elena?"

"Damon!" scolded Elena, elbowing him.

"Ah, yes," said Elijah, ignoring Damon's rude tone. "Josie came to me shortly after I arrived in town. She offered me information about my family as well as her help in locating and trapping Klaus. In exchange, she asked that I keep her friends and family safe from Klaus."

"What kind of information?" asked Elena. "Josie, how were you going to locate and trap Klaus? This doesn't make any sense."

Josie sighed. "Klaus daggered all his siblings except Elijah and told him that he'd dumped their bodies in the ocean. I let Elijah know that Klaus was lying. That their bodies were safe. I also told him where to find a spell that would instantly desiccate Klaus."

"How do you know all this?" asked Damon, suspiciously. "What are you, psychic?"

Josie shrugged. "Sort of."

"Now's not the time for modesty, my dear," said Elijah, shaking his head.

"We think that Josie may be an Oracle," supplied Jonas. "Oracles are, or were, a myth. Traditionally all Seers are witches. Josie possesses the gift of clairvoyance, but is not a witch."

"Wait, you get visions?" asked Bonnie. "Since when?"

"Just in the past few months," Josie answered, vaguely.

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Jeremy, who looked hurt.

Josie shrugged. "I don't know. At first, I didn't know what was happening. Then I was scared I was going crazy. Stefan and I agreed to keep it a secret until we made a deal with Elijah."

Everyone turned to Stefan, who looked confused.

"Stefan!" exclaimed Damon in an accusing tone.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Stefan, frowning.

"With my family's life at stake, I thought the fewer people who knew, the better, which is why I compelled your memories away, Stefan," explained Elijah. "And why I insisted Josie keep all of this a secret."

There was a few moments of awkward silence while everyone digested this new piece of information.

Josie cleared her throat. "The spell is ready. The problem is that we can't find Klaus. Real Klaus, not Alaric/Klaus. I even sent Katherine and Isobel after him, but he managed to capture both of them," said Josie, bitterly. "The deal is we find Elijah's family, then we desiccate Klaus."

"How can we find your family?" asked Stefan. "They must be well hidden."

"They are," said Josie. "We need Klaus to tell us."

Damon rolled his eyes. "And why would he do that?"

At that, Josie smiled. "Because we have the moonstone. The real moonstone. Katherine stole a fake."

Everyone looked shocked, but impressed. Even Damon.

"Once the real Klaus arrives in town, I will exchange the moonstone for the location of my family. Then Jonas and I will desiccate Klaus," Elijah said.

"Won't Klaus suspect a trap?" asked Stefan.

"He might," Elijah admitted. "He may not be willing to give up my family until after the sacrifice has been performed. If that's the case, then we will have to take precautions to ensure Elena's survival."

Jonas proceeded to tell them about the elixir and the linking spell. Elijah warned the vampires in the room that they were not to feed Elena vampire blood otherwise the elixir wouldn't work. Josie had warned him about that. Jonas explained that the linking spell was a back-up and that he, Josie and Elijah had already agreed to use a patient at the local hospice.

"So Elena will survive even if we can't stop the sacrifice," said Josie.

"What about the other sacrifices?" asked Bonnie. "The werewolf and the vampire?"

"For the werewolf we'll try and use the linking spell," said Josie. "I saw in a vision that the spell will definitely work on Elena, but we're not sure for a werewolf."

"And the vampire?" asked Stefan.

Josie shook her head.

"A vampire is already dead," explained Jonas. "The spell links two living souls."

"We'll use our leverage with the moonstone to ensure Klaus doesn't use one of you as the vampire," said Elijah, almost apologetically. "That's the best I can do."

"Because you want your family back?" asked Bonnie in a harsh tone.

Josie winced. She didn't blame Bonnie. If they couldn't stop Klaus prior to the ritual, they were essentially trading Elijah's family for the sacrifices. It was horrible, but other than by betraying Elijah (which she refused to do and wouldn't end well either), she didn't see another way.

"Yes," said Elijah. "And then we'll desiccate him after the ritual."

"This is where we'd like your help," said Jonas.

"Let me guess," said Damon, raising an eyebrow. "It has something to do with the spot where a hundred witches died."

Jonas nodded. "The power a witch leaves behind when they die is considerable. I have a spell that will let me channel all that power. It's not completely necessary in order to desiccate Klaus, but it will make it considerably easier."

"What's in it for you?" asked Elena. "Why are you helping Elijah?"

It was Luka who spoke up. "Klaus has my sister, Greta. He's forced generations of witches to serve him in pursuit of breaking the curse without the doppelganger."

Josie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 'Forced' is not how she would describe Greta's participation. But that was the Martins' problem as far as she was concerned.

In the end, Damon reluctantly gave up the location of the witch sacrifice spot, especially when Jonas warned that much power could kill an inexperienced witch like Bonnie.

They were just wrapping up when Elena got a call from Jenna. They had warned Jenna off Alaric and that she should stay on campus, but apparently she didn't listen because she was home and Alaric wanted to meet her at the Grill. Elijah sighed and went to the Gilbert House, easily dealing with Alaric without all the drama of the original storyline.

Elijah brought Jenna back to the Boarding House with him, while Bonnie, Jonas and Luka went to perform the channeling spell at the witch house.

Jenna was upset about being kept in the dark, of course, and there was much drama and crying as Elena, Jeremy and Josie sat down with her and explained everything. When Jenna went to go lay down, Josie suggested they get something to eat.

"Are you kidding me?" asked Jeremy, looking at Josie.

Josie frowned. "What are you not hungry?" It was long past lunchtime.

"You lied to us for months!" exclaimed Jeremy. "We said no more secrets and all that time you were lying and sneaking around with Katherine and Elijah."

"I wanted to tell you," Josie insisted. "I was just trying to keep you safe. Keep everyone safe!"

Jeremy scoffed. "I'm going back to the house. I'm sure Elijah would be happy to give you a ride."

He stormed out of the house, slamming the front door for good measure.

Josie sighed. She didn't really blame him. She looked at Elena, raising an eyebrow as if to say 'What about you?' Elena sighed and wrapped her arms around Josie, pulling her in for a hug.

"How can I be mad that you kept secrets when I've been lying to Jenna this whole time?"

Josie smiled. At least Elena wasn't mad at her. Of course, Elena could never stay mad at anyone. She'd forgiven Damon for 'killing' Jeremy in the original storyline after all.

Elena went to go find Stefan. Josie, even though she really didn't want to, went to find Damon. She felt badly about their screaming match the day before. She found him in the living room, drink in his hand.

"I'm sorry, Damon," she said, without preamble.

He looked up at her with an unreadable expression.

"For what?" he asked, sarcastically. "Which lie? When you said you trusted me, when you helped Katherine escape?"

"I'm sorry, Damon," she repeated. "I did what I thought was best."

Damon scoffed. "What gives you the right to decide what's best for everyone else?"

Josie cringed. His words cut like a knife. Mostly because they were true. What did give her the right? Because she knew about the show, because she was the one with the visions?

"Nothing," she admitted. "I'm…"

"Yeah, you're sorry. I get it," he said sarcastically. "Anything else?"

Josie shook her head. "I should go."

She turned to leave, but Damon appeared in front of her.

"Why Stefan?" he asked.

Josie frowned. "What?"

"Why did you tell Stefan and not me?"

Josie shook her head. "I didn't tell Stefan anything, he guessed. He said he noticed that I knew too much."

Damon looked surprised.

"Is that what this is about?" she asked, frowning. "You think I told Stefan, but didn't tell you?"

Damon scoffed. "No."

Josie raised an eyebrow. She could tell she'd hit a nerve. It might not be the only reason he was mad, but it was a part of it.

"Stefan is a great guy," said Josie. "You… You drive me nuts, Damon, but you know you're my favorite Salvatore brother. Most of the time."

Damon smirked. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Miss Gilbert."

Josie just laughed. "It's true. You said it yourself, remember? I don't like boring."

"I remember," said Damon, still with his trademark smirk.

Josie looked at him, suddenly serious. "I am sorry, Damon."

"I know," he said, just as serious. "I'm not saying you're forgiven," he added.

Josie nodded. "I know."

"You need a ride home?" he asked, sighing. "I heard Jeremy took off."

Josie shook her head. "I'm fine." Elijah had offered to take her home.

She said good-bye to Damon and left him to his drinking.

Josie convinced Elijah to get something to eat on the way back to her house. She smiled when he automatically drove to The Tipping Pot.

She ordered lunch and looked at Elijah, who was sitting across the booth from her. She'd met him less than two months ago, but she trusted him, implicitly. She cared about him. Wanted nothing more than to see him reunited with his family. She wondered what would happen after Klaus was desiccated? Elijah would no doubt wake the others. Would they remain in Mystic Falls? Go to New Orleans? Maybe they'd chose another city altogether? She was surprised to realize that she'd miss the kind, but fierce man sitting across from her.

"I wanted to thank you," she said, breaking the silence. "Klaus isn't desiccated, but you told them everything anyway."

Elijah sipped his coffee. "I do hope we don't come to regret it."

"We won't," said Josie, firmly. "They want him gone as much as we do."

Elijah nodded.

"Anyway," she continued. "How did it go with Alaric/Klaus? Did he say anything about when he's actually coming? The full moon is tomorrow. Isn't he cutting it kinda close?"

Elijah hadn't shared what had transpired with Jenna and Alaric/Klaus at the Gilbert House.

"I told him if he didn't want the moonstone dropped into the Atlantic, he would meet me at Fell's Church tomorrow at 9 a.m."

"Pick me up at 8.45 then?" asked Josie. At Elijah's look of protest, she continued. "I'm coming! Someone has to represent Mystic Falls' interest. I promise no vision talk or anything I shouldn't know."

"Alright," said Elijah, sighing. "Please also refrain from insulting him."

Josie frowned. "He told you about that?"

Elijah gave a slight smile. "He suggested that I ought to muzzle you to keep your uncivilized tongue in check."

Josie rolled her eyes. "All I said was that he was a deformed, impotent Frankenstein with an Oedipal complex."

"Uncivilized tongue, indeed," said Elijah, smiling into his coffee.

"Why would he care what I think? What anyone thinks?" asked Josie, shaking her head. "He's a thousand year old vampire who's probably had more sexual partners than Hugh Hefner and Ron Jeremy combined."

Elijah sighed. "He may be a thousand year old vampire, my dear, but he is also a man. And when a beautiful girl calls a man impotent and deformed, well, my brother never did have great control of his temper." He paused. "That's something the two of you have in common."

Josie scoffed at being compared to Klaus, though she was also flattered by the 'beautiful' comment.

"I'm nothing like him. I don't get all murdery when I get angry."

"No," he admitted. "You just deliberately provoke the most feared vampire on the planet by insulting his masculinity."

Josie frowned, hating that maybe he had a point.

"Fine," she conceded. "I'll refrain from insulting his fragile ego tomorrow."

Elijah nodded and smiled. "Thank you. I do appreciate it."

"Of course," said Josie, returning his smile. "After everything you've done for me and my family, Elijah. I'll never be able to thank you enough."

Elijah looked at her thoughtfully. "You've been a worthy ally as well, Josie. And a good friend. No matter what happens tomorrow."

 **A/N: Only two more chapters left in Season Two! Next chapter, Klaus finally shows his (not-at-all deformed) face.**

 **Also, I'm not 100% sure what pairing will be endgame. I'm still trying to figure out what will happen to Josie herself, outside of a relationship. Her being from the real world makes the story more interesting because she messes with the plot, but it creates a problem in terms of the ending.**

 **Anyway, let me know if you like any pairing so far? Or is everyone waiting to see how Josie and Klaus interact? Or maybe another Original?**


	28. The Last Day & The Sun Also Rises

The next day was the day of the full moon. At 8.45 a.m., Elijah picked Josie up in front of her house. She was nervous, but Elijah assured her that he would do most of the talking.

"I still don't think it's wise to have you here," he said, pulling off on the back road that would lead them to Fell's Church. "I wish you had let me negotiate alone."

"I need to be here, Elijah," she said, seriously.

Today was the day. After all that had happened, Josie wanted be present for everything. She frowned and made a mental note that when this was all over and Klaus was dealt with, she might want to look into counseling for her control issues.

Elijah just gripped the steering wheel tighter and concentrated on the road. They arrived at their destination and got out of the car.

"Brother!" called out Klaus, zooming to stand in front of Josie and Elijah. "I see you brought your pesky, little wench."

Josie narrowed her eyes at his insult.

"Klaus, I presume?" she asked sarcastically, feeling brave with Elijah by her side. "There's no need to be rude."

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "You're one to talk of rude," he said, obviously remembering all her 'witty comments' from the day of the dance.

Josie shrugged. "Clearly reports of your defects have been greatly exaggerated."

"You've no idea, love," he said, smirking at her.

Elijah cleared his throat, drawing their attention. "We're here to negotiate, Niklaus."

"Of course," said Klaus, turning his gaze back to Elijah. "Go on then."

Elijah tilted his head and recited what he and Josie had agreed on.

"The doppelganger is prepared to endure the ritual. We've put our own precautions in place to help her survive. In exchange for the moonstone, you must agree that you will not harm any of Elena and Josie's family and friends, either during or after the ritual."

"What's in it for you, Elijah?" asked Klaus. "I thought you learned your lesson in caring long ago."

He sneered at Josie, who gave him her best 'fuck you' look.

"You will return our family, Niklaus," said Elijah.

Klaus smirked. "You know I buried them at sea long ago."

"I know you lie," countered Elijah. "I was traveling in Nepal and came across a witch, a Seer of great renown. She told me that she had seen our family, daggered, but safe. I need only find them, she said."

Klaus maintained his stony gaze. "Your witch lied."

Elijah tilted his head in acquiescence. "Then I'm prepared to drop the moonstone in the sea to join our family. That way neither of us gets what we want."

Elijah grabbed his phone for dramatic effect.

"No!" said Klaus, his cool façade slipping for a nanosecond. "You're right. I didn't drop them in the Artic. Though I was sorely tempted."

Elijah smiled triumphantly. "Their bodies, for the moonstone."

"Alright," said Klaus. "After the sacrifice."

"What? No, before," countered Josie.

"Don't think I've forgotten your little plot to have me killed," said Klaus, turning his attention to Josie. "I may have that spell in my possession, but I won't give up our family until I'm absolutely unkillable. A true hybrid."

Josie glanced at Elijah, who looked conflicted. They obviously wanted to stop him prior to the ritual, but it didn't seem like Klaus was going to back down. If they pushed the issue too hard, Klaus might get suspicious.

"Fine," said Elijah, finally. "The moonstone for the safe return of our siblings, and the safety of Josie and Elena's family and friends."

Klaus tilted his head in agreement. "Deal."

They then produced a list of who was off-limits for Klaus and when they would meet later that day, at the sacrifice site.

"You're not getting the stone until I see you kept your end of the bargain," said Josie, crossing her arms. Did he think she was an idiot?

Klaus growled, clearly unhappy that he wasn't taking possession of the moonstone immediately.

"Enough, Brother," said Elijah, drawing Klaus' gaze from Josie once again. "I'm sure you have things to prepare."

With that, Elijah steered Josie towards the car and they took off.

Josie was eating lunch and enduring the silent treatment from Jeremy when she got a text from Tyler. Her happiness at receiving a text from him soon turned to anger at its contents. He wrote that he was back in town because his mother had been hurt in an accident that morning. No doubt the same accident that Klaus had used in the original storyline to lure Tyler to Mystic Falls in order to use him in the sacrifice.

Josie wrote Tyler a lighthearted text back, saying she would love to meet him at the Grill later, but inside she was boiling.

She stormed over to Alaric's apartment where she knew Klaus was, calling Elijah on the way (got his voicemail) saying Klaus was a fucking asshole who was trying to sacrifice her ex-boyfriend in the ritual. She should have known he wouldn't keep his word.

She angrily knocked on the door to Alaric's apartment. It was Greta who answered.

"Can I help you?" the witch asked.

"Yes, hi," Josie smiled tightly. "I'm here to see your boss."

"He's busy," Greta frowned, starting to close the door.

Josie stopped it, spurred on by her fury. "I'm Josie Gilbert. I'm the one with the moonstone," she said, striding into the apartment. "Klaus!"

She blinked and Klaus was standing right in front of her.

"No need to shout, love," he said, eyes narrowed. "Vampire hearing."

"Your witch bodyguard didn't want to let me in," spat Josie.

"Well she's protective, that one," said Klaus, smirking. "What brings you to the lion's den? And without your bodyguard?"

"Hello," said Elijah, breezing in. "Sorry, I'm late. I got your message."

Josie smiled at Elijah and then turned back to Klaus with a glare.

"We were just getting to the part where your brother explains why my werewolf ex-boyfriend is in town because his mother mysteriously had a freak accident this morning. Ten minutes after we made our agreement for the moonstone."

"Accidents happen all the time," said Klaus, disinterestedly.

"I'm not an idiot," she said, shooting daggers at him. "Tyler isn't allowed in the ring of fire, remember?"

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "Well lucky for me, Tyler brought the rest of his uncle's pack. Seems they're unwilling to let a lone werewolf stay in this town, what with all the vampires crawling around it. I've plenty of other werewolves to choose from that aren't on your list."

"Oh," she said, suddenly feeling guilty that Klaus was going to sacrifice one of Mason's pack members. She wasn't sure she could do anything about it though. She really hoped that linking spell worked.

"They'll be no renegotiating," Klaus said, as if reading her mind. "The list you already gave me for the moonstone."

She wanted to scream. He was such an asshole.

"Fine," she ground out angrily, turning toward the door.

Klaus suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her way out.

"How did you know there's a ring of fire?" he asked.

Shit. "What?" she asked, putting on her best confused face.

"How did you know there's a ring of fire for each of the sacrifices in the ritual?"

"There's always a damn ring of fire," said Josie, trying to sound exasperated. "There are lots of witches in this town, too, you know. I've seen enough witchy-woo to know there's always a ring of fire, or salt or water or something. Considering it's a sacrifice, I guess I just assumed ring of fire."

She could feel Elijah tensed beside her, but didn't dare look at him.

Klaus regarded her darkly, but seemed to buy her explanation.

"Can't be too careful," he said, stepping out of her path. Though he still stared at her with those suspicous eyes.

Elijah's face was like stone and he said a tense word of good-bye to his brother before leading Josie out of the apartment.

They were several blocks away when he turned to her.

"What were you thinking? Confronting him like that?"

"Sorry," she said, shaking her head. "When I heard about Tyler's mom, I guess I went a little crazy. I wanted to make sure he wasn't going to break our agreement."

"It's dangerous for you to be around him, Josie," said Elijah. "Especially when you are speaking carelessly in anger. If he finds out what you are…"

"And what am I?" asked Josie, annoyed at the 'careless' remark and still angry about who the werewolf sacrifice was going to be. "I'm just a dumb human who gets stupid visions. A freak of nature!"

"You are nothing of the sort, my dear," he said calmly, raising an eyebrow at her outburst.

Josie's anger deflated somewhat at his soothing tone. Elijah had that effect.

"With the ritual tonight, I didn't want Tyler anywhere near Mystic Falls. The vision I had with him and Jeremy as the sacrifices still haunts me." She sighed, giving him a small smile. "Thank you for coming."

"Thank you for calling me," he said, returning her smile.

Josie's smile got bigger. "I'm going miss you as my bodyguard when this is all over. Maybe we can just hang out? Talk about something other than our complicated, super-secret plans."

He smiled. "I'd like that."

"Good." She tilted her head at him. "Tell me, Elijah. Do you bowl?"

Elijah chuckled and they talked idly until they arrived at the Grill, where Josie went in to meet Tyler. She sat down at a booth by the window to wait, since she was about 30 minutes early.

Her eyes widened when Klaus strolled in a few minutes before Tyler was supposed to arrive. He glanced at her, but made his way over to the bar where Alaric and Damon were sitting. Guess he was going to do the threatening "don't mess this up" speech.

Tyler came a minute later and she ran over to give him a hug.

"Hey!" she said, enjoying the feeling of his arms around her.

He pulled back a bit so he could look into her face. "Hey," he said, smiling. "How have you been?"

"Good," she smiled back.

It was odd not to kiss him. He looked at her lips and could see he was thinking about it.

"Oh screw it," she said, and pulled him in.

He eagerly returned the kiss before pulling back and resting his forehead on hers.

"I've missed you," he said, hands in her hair.

"I've missed you too," she said, running her arms along his back. "How long are you in town for?"

"I don't know. It's my first full moon. Mason's pack is going to help me through it. Mason sends his best. He didn't think it was a good idea to come himself."

"Of course… And then?" asked Josie, biting her lip. "Are you staying?"

"I don't know," he repeated. "I miss home, but I'm learning a lot too."

Josie nodded, looking down.

"Hey," he said softly, lifting her chin with his hand. "I didn't say I was leaving either."

"So you haven't fallen for some hot werewolf girl?" she asked, trying to be casual about it.

"No," he chuckled.

He turned his head as Klaus was standing before them, looking at them.

"Can I help you?" asked Tyler, his tone abrupt.

"Tyler," said Josie, in a warning voice. "This is Klaus."

Josie felt Tyler's arms grip her tighter and he moved to place himself between Josie and Klaus.

Klaus ignored the protective gesture, clearly unimpressed.

"I didn't mean to interrupt your little reunion," said Klaus. He leaned in, "You're welcome, by the way." Josie rolled her eyes. "But you may want to keep your vampire on a tighter leash."

"What?" asked Josie, confused.

"One of the brothers who's so fond of my doppelganger just asked me to postpone the ritual for another month."

Josie's face fell. There could be only one reason why Damon had asked that. He had fed Elena vampire blood. And after she had Elijah warn all of them. Fucking Damon.

Still, this was Klaus so she had to feign ignorance.

"Why did he do that?" she asked.

"I haven't the faintest," said Klaus. "If he…"

"I don't speak for Damon," Josie cut in, not wanting to hear whatever threat Klaus had ready. "My list for the moonstone. That was the deal you made with Elijah and me."

The mention of Elijah's name had the intended effect and Klaus stepped back.

"I'll honor our agreement," he said in a dangerous voice. "But I will kill anyone who tries to stop me."

Then he left without another word.

Josie sighed and turned back to Tyler. "Sorry about that."

"Deal, what deal?" asked Tyler. "What did I miss?"  
Josie glanced toward the bar. Sure enough, Damon and Alaric were gone, probably off to try and free a werewolf and a vampire.

She turned back towards Tyler. "Let's go for a drive. We have a lot to catch up on."

Tyler led her to his car and they drove off. She told him everything that had happened. She told him about her visions, her deal with Elijah, then Klaus. He took it better than she thought, given their earlier fights about keeping secrets. It seemed like he was just happy she was telling him now.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you any of this before," said Josie. "All those times we fought, I really wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. I didn't want to break my promise to Elijah. Who is just a friend," she added, hastily.

Tyler just nodded. "So, what was that back at the Grill? If you had a deal, why would Damon want to mess it up?"

Josie sighed. Tyler wasn't going to like this part. She told him how a werewolf and a vampire needed to be sacrificed for the ritual and that Damon was probably trying to remove one of them from the equation to postpone the ritual because he must have fed Elena vampire blood.

"Klaus is going to kill a werewolf?" asked Tyler.

Josie nodded. "We're going to try and save them through magic, but it's not a guarantee."

"I can't believe this," said Tyler. Then realization dawned. "Is that why my mom had that accident? To lure Mason's pack to Mystic Falls?"

Josie nodded. "I think so. I'm so sorry, Tyler. I had no idea that he was going to do that."

"But you were still going to let him perform the ritual and sacrifice three people!" said Tyler, angrily.

"Let him?" exclaimed Josie. "Let him? I did everything I could to try and prevent the sacrifice from happening."

Josie looked out the window angrily. As if she needed to be reminded of her abysmal failure.

Tyler sighed and reached over to grab her hand. "If Damon's going to try and remove the werewolf from the equation, I need to save the werewolf."

Josie shook her head. "No, you heard what Klaus said."

"I'll make sure he doesn't know I'm involved."

Josie sighed, knowing that Klaus had at least one back-up, if not several, so it probably didn't matter anyway. She gave Damon's number to Tyler and wished him luck. He dropped her off at home and kissed her goodbye.

Jenna was in the kitchen when she walked in.

"Hey, Josie," said Jenna, looking up from her bowl of ice cream.

"Hey," returned Josie, shrugging off her coat. "Mind if I join you?"

Jenna smiled and fished out another spoon.

"How are you doing?" asked Josie. "You know, with everything?"

"I'm okay. It still doesn't feel real."

Josie nodded. "Give it time."

"What about you? Elena told me that you spilled some secrets yesterday too."

Josie sighed. "Most people took it okay, I guess. Jeremy won't even talk to me."

Jenna shook her head. "That kid sure can hold a grudge."

Looking at Jenna's sympathetic gaze, she put her spoon down and clasped Jenna's hands.

"Jenna, I want you to promise me that no matter what happens, you won't leave this house today."

Jenna looked at her quizically.

"I had a vision and… just promise me that you'll stay in the house, okay?"

"What did you see?"

Josie shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Just promise, okay?"

Jenna nodded. "I promise."

"Good." Josie smiled and grabbed her spoon. "Didn't we have Rocky Road too?"

It was a few hours later when Elijah came and picked her up. They came upon the ritual site and Josie peered into the clearing. She saw Elena, looking scared but determined.

She looked at the other circles and was thankful to see two complete strangers. She hated herself for that, but pushed the thought away. The ritual was going to happen. She had decided to protect the people she loved. What else could she do?

Josie took a deep breath and grabbed Elijah's arm for support as they stepped forward, into the clearing.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd show," said Klaus, turning to look at them, glancing at where Josie held Elijah's arm. "What is it with you and this human, Brother? Every time I see her you're always lurking about. You know she has a werewolf boyfriend already?"

"I'm here to make sure you uphold your end of the bargain, Niklaus," said Elijah, ignoring Klaus' lewd comments. "Once the ritual is complete, I want our family."

"Well as you can see, I kept to our agreement," he said, casting an arm around the clearing. "Once I'm a true hybrid, I'll show you to our siblings."

Then he turned to Josie and held out his hand. "Now, sweetheart."

Josie frowned, but reluctantly handed over the moonstone.

"500 years I've been searching for this," said Klaus, holding up the moonstone. "I did not expect to find you its keeper."

He was looking at Josie curiously. Then he turned and walked towards the altar where Greta was standing, waiting to begin the ritual.

Since they made the deal with Klaus and he had kept to his part, the ritual, though still horrible, went down with a lot less drama than in the original storyline. Josie stood with Elijah, silently watching as Klaus killed the werewolf and then the vampire. When he moved to Elena, she found she couldn't watch, closing her eyes on the scene.

She heard a thump and she opened her eyes, seeing Klaus standing over Elena's lifeless body. Elijah didn't stop her as she raced to Elena's side, wishing for all the world, that it hadn't come to this. Klaus looked down at Josie, triumphant.

"Couldn't have done it without you, love."

Seeing Elena just lying there, dead, with the werewolf and the vampire not too far away, the tears she'd been holding in came pouring out.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered to no one in particular.

She saw a pair of feet appear beside her and felt a pair of comforting arms surround her.

"She'll be back," said Elijah, softly.

Josie nodded. "Go."

Elijah stood up. "Come, Niklaus." They had agreed that Elijah would keep Klaus from killing anyone during the time he spent as a wolf. "The time has come."

Klaus groaned, clearly feeling the effects of the transformation, but clasped a hand on Elijah's back. "I always wanted you by my side this night, Brother."

After Klaus and Elijah had departed the clearing, Jonas and Luka came and got Greta. She was surprised to see them, but from what Josie could see, it was a happy reunion.

Stefan came and Josie went with him back to the Boarding House. Elena woke up a few hours later, completely human. The linking spell had worked and everyone raised a glass for the 91-year-old woman who had died in the local hospice.

She was crushed to hear from the Martins that the werewolf linking spell didn't work. Both the vampire and the werewolf had remained dead.

The next morning, Josie called Tyler. He answered on the first ring, letting her know that he had made it through his first transformation okay. They made plans to meet for a late breakfast at the Grill as Josie had a stop to make first.

She knocked on Alaric's door and called out. "Katherine?"

The door immediately swung open. "What the hell happened?" asked Katherine, not bothering with pleasantries.

"Klaus broke the curse," said Josie, tossing Katherine a few blood bags, which she immediately tore into. "Elena's fine and human. Everyone's fine. Well, a vampire and werewolf are dead."

Josie sighed. She still felt terrible about that.

Katherine shook her head. "Everyone's not fine. Damon was bitten by a werewolf."

"What?" Josie exclaimed. "You've got to be kidding me. Ugh, why couldn't he just leave it alone?" She sighed. "It's okay. Klaus' blood is the cure. Once we desiccate him, we can just take some of his blood and give it to Damon. You'll be released from his compulsion and we can all live happily ever after."

"You make it sound so easy," said Katherine, draining the first blood bag.

"Do I?" Josie laughed bitterly. These past few days were getting to her. She just wanted this to be over. "Have you been drinking the vervain? Just in case our plan fails miserably?"

Katherine nodded. "Right now I'm compelled to not leave this apartment and not betray him in anyway. But that's it."

"Good," said Josie. She looked at her watch. "I should get going. I'm meeting Tyler for brunch."

Katherine smirked. "Have fun with your werewolf. I always did with mine."

After leaving Alaric's apartment, Josie called Stefan, letting him know about the cure, that they should have it as soon as Klaus was desiccated and to keep Damon safe until then.

Over breakfast, Tyler told her what happened with Damon the night before, how they had managed to kill Maddox and free one set of sacrifices.

Josie spent the rest of the day with Tyler, mostly in his bed. They didn't broach the subject of their relationship, without knowing if he was staying or not.

They joined everyone at the Boarding House, where they had a big dinner, hosted by Caroline of course, celebrating the fact that they had made it through the sacrifice and that Klaus would (hopefully) be desiccated soon.

It was 10 a.m. the next day when Josie and Jonas got the text they'd been waiting two days for.

"I've seen my family," wrote Elijah. "It's time."

 **A/N: Thank you so much for all your comments and reviews! They make me write faster!**

 **Seems like a lot of people like the idea of Josie and Klaus, though if she gets her way, he'll be desiccated soon... They had a few interactions in this chapter, so let me know what you thought! Of course, Tyler came back and the Josie/Tyler reunion was sweet, but who knows if he's staying in Mystic Falls? For Elijah/Josie, I've written them fairly platonically so far, but anything is possible. Josie may be a bit too wild and impulsive for Elijah? His observation about Josie and Klaus being similar- It wasn't an insult, but it wasn't a compliment either…**

 **Anyway, for the comments on who Josie is saving- I'm planning on exploring this a bit in later chapters. She has a very witch-type attitude in that she will 'protect her own'. Not saying that's good or bad, just her character. But making decisions about who lives and who dies… well, she's not heartless, so it is going to get to her at some point.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	29. As I Lay Dying

Josie kissed Tyler and let him know Klaus was back and it was time for the pack to leave Mystic Falls. She had explained Klaus' whole 'making hybrids' plan and the pack had agreed that it was best to be as far away from him as possible, just in case they weren't able to desiccate him. The last thing a werewolf wants to be is a vampire, after all. Tyler still hadn't decided if he was leaving with them or not.

Josie jumped in her car and went to pick up Stefan. They met the Martins a few blocks from Alaric's apartment and went over the plan. They had decided prior to the ritual that their best shot was a surprise attack.

Jonas would go in first, distracting Klaus enough until Elijah could hold him. Then Stefan would go in, snap Katherine's neck (in case she'd been compelled to help Klaus in some way), and join Elijah in holding Klaus down. Luka had volunteered to be the one whose heart was stopped. Jonas had already taken numerous precautions to ensure Luka would stay alive.

Josie's job was to restrain Katherine with a set of extra-strong manacles, in case she woke up before Klaus was desiccated. They didn't want to take any chances.

The group silently crept up the stairs to Alaric's apartment. Josie hoped Klaus was distracted because she was pretty sure that her heart was pounding a mile a minute.

She was surprised how mixed her feelings were about this plan. Klaus had upheld his end of the bargain- he hadn't sacrificed any of Josie's loved ones and he'd returned the Original siblings. Should they really desiccate him?

Yes, came the answer from the logical side of her brain. Klaus was dangerous and he wanted to sire an army of hybrid slaves to take over the planet, using her sister as a human blood bag to do it.

Josie did feel bad about Elijah. She was pretty sure he would keep to their agreement and hold his brother down to be desiccated, even if he had mixed feelings as well. They weren't killing him after all, just putting him in a coffin for a while. How many times had Klaus done the same to his siblings, to Elijah?

Stefan's hand on her arm shook Josie out of her thoughts. He was clearly listening to make sure both Elijah and Klaus were in the apartment. He gave a nod to Jonas, letting him know it was time. Jonas took a deep breath and burst in, the power of a hundred dead witches fueling his entry.

Josie heard Klaus shouting, "Elijah!" and she assumed that Elijah was holding Klaus down. Stefan quickly followed, as did Luka and then Josie.

Katherine was on the ground, motionless, and Josie rushed forward, quickly putting Katherine in the manacles.

Jonas was already chanting, hovering over Luka, as Elijah plunged his hand into Klaus' chest.

"Why, Brother?" asked Klaus, his eyes watering at the betrayal.

"I'm sorry, Niklaus," was all Elijah said as his brother's heart began to slow down.

Josie just watched, transfixed at the scene before her. They were doing it. It was really going to work. Klaus would be desiccated, the Originals would be free, and Elena would never need to donate her blood to the hybrid cause. Seeing the tears forming in Klaus' eyes as his brother held him firm made Josie feel guiltier than she thought she would.

She glanced over at Jonas and Luka. Jonas' chanting was reaching a fever pitch now. The whole room literally buzzed with magic, all the energy it took to take down a vampire as powerful as Klaus. Luka gasped, clearly feeling the effects of the spell as well.

Movement out of the corner of Josie's eye pulled her attention away from Jonas and Luka. If she'd been looking at Klaus, Elijah and Stefan, maybe she could have stopped it. She supposed she'd never know. As it was, the next few seconds would haunt Josie for a long time. Because in those few seconds she was looking at the warlocks, she didn't see Greta come running into the apartment and plunge that white oak dagger into Elijah's heart.

Elijah shouted in pain and as soon as he loosened his grip, Klaus reacted, faster than she could have ever imagined.

The next thing Josie knew, Stefan's neck was snapped and Jonas and Luka had their hands in the same shackles Klaus had used the night of the dance. One more second and Klaus was looming over Josie, gripping her shoulders and baring his teeth, full hybrid face on display.

She looked at him, terrified. How had this happened? What was wrong with Greta? Jonas said she had repented, that she understood why they needed to desiccate Klaus.

And why had Jonas not flicked his shackle away? Subdued Klaus with all the power he was channeling? Josie's heart sunk when she realized the restraints must somehow dampen the warlock's powers.

"I'll deal with you in a minute," Klaus snarled, grabbing Josie roughly and throwing her on the couch.

"Greta, please," said Jonas, as he tried in vain to remove the enchanted restraints. "You said you understood. Your loyalty is to your family."

"My loyalty is to Klaus," said Greta, who was soon joined by Klaus. "The new order."

In spite of the situation, it was hard for Josie to not roll her eyes. Clearly she should have warned Jonas about the true nature of Greta's relationship with Klaus, no matter how much it hurt the man.

"Glad to know I still have a dance partner," said Klaus, slinging an arm around Greta. He turned to Jonas and Luka. "I think it's best if you left. Before I forget my respect for Greta and tear your hearts out."

"I'm not leaving without my daughter," said Jonas, firmly.

"I'm not leaving with you," Greta returned.

"Now, see you can't buy loyalty like that," Klaus said, smiling down at Greta.

"What if I offered you something more valuable?" asked Jonas, clearly desperate. "Would you send her from your service?"

Josie frowned. What was Jonas talking about?

"I've just broken the curse that has been my focus for the past 1,000 years. According to Greta, I now have the all the copies of the only spell that can defeat me," he said, holding up Jonas' copy of the desiccation spell. "What could you possibly have that I want?"

"If I did," asked Jonas, his eyes flickering to Josie for a split second. "Would you give me my daughter back?"

Josie's confusion turned to horrified understanding in an instant.

"I'm listening," Klaus said, though he kept his arm on Greta's shoulders.

"Klaus!" exclaimed Greta, clearly hurt.

"An Oracle," said Jonas, ignoring his daughter.

Klaus' face broke into a smile. "Oracles aren't real," he said, laughing. "The closest you can come are witches who possess the Sight and I already have one of those in my employ."

"I thought that as well until I saw it for myself," said Jonas. "How do you think Elijah knew you hadn't buried your family at sea?"

"A Seer, as I said," Klaus said, dismissively.

"How did Elijah escape your café trap in Pennsylvania?"

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "My vampires heard him get a call seconds before he was to enter the café. I assumed I'd been betrayed by one of my own and had the whole lot killed."

Josie gasped, remembering all the people she had seen in her vision. All those people were now dead. All because she'd saved Elijah. The guilty feeling she'd had all day, about the vampire and the werewolf that had been sacrificed, just grew.

Jonas shook his head and continued, "How do I know what the cure is for a werewolf bite?" He paused for effect. "How do I know who really killed your mother?"

Josie eyes widened. She had told Elijah that because she wanted him to know the truth about his mother's death. She thought he deserved as much. The long-held secret was bound to provoke a reaction from Klaus.

Sure enough, Klaus had Jonas pinned against the wall by his throat a second later. "I would think through the next words out of your mouth very carefully, mate," Klaus said in a deadly whisper.

"If I deliver an Oracle," Jonas said, his voice steady, though he was clearly terrified, "Will you return my daughter to me?"

Klaus was silent for a moment. Maybe he wouldn't care, thought Josie. After all, Greta had just saved his life.

"Yes," Klaus said, pulling back from the warlock. "But if you're lying…" he threatened.

"Klaus!" exclaimed Greta.

"Sorry, my dear," Klaus said, turning to Greta, who looked devastated. "Best you return to your family."

He turned back to Jonas. "Now…"

"Well who else?" said Jonas, looking behind Klaus at Josie.

Josie ran towards the door, or tried to. She knew she didn't stand a chance against Klaus, but the instinct to flee was too strong. Before she knew it, the world blurred and she was standing near the far wall of Alaric's apartment. As far away from the door as possible.

"Elijah's little pet," said Klaus, holding her by the arms and staring down at her. "No wonder he kept you so close. You weren't lying when you told Katerina of your visions."

"I'm not an Oracle," she said, trying to get away. "He's just saying that so you'll let Greta go."

He held her even tighter, looking down at her with possessive eyes.

"No?" Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow. "You can't be compelled. You're not a witch or a werewolf."

She contemplated telling him she could be one of the Five, but she didn't think that would improve her situation.

"If I could tell the future, don't you think I would have been able to prevent this?"

"I understand how the Sight works," said Klaus. "It's not omniscience. Seers see glimpses. Cryptic riddles that can be difficult to interpret. Legend has it that an Oracle has a direct connection to the Sight. They see the entire page, rather than just a sentence of two."

"Tell you what, love," he said, pushing her down on the couch forcefully. "Why don't we just put it to the test?"

With that, he blurred away from her and stood over Stefan. Leaning down, Klaus bit him.

"No!" Josie shouted, getting up and rushing over to Stefan.

The bite was enough to wake Stefan up. He leapt to his feet and stood in front of Josie, blocking Klaus.

"Welcome back, Stefan," said Klaus, smirking. "Josie was just about to save your life. And hers, come to think of it."

"Leave her alone, Klaus," warned Stefan, though he was looking down at his werewolf bite with concern.

"I'll save his life if you can tell me how," Klaus said, ignoring Stefan.

Josie couldn't breathe. What could she do? Could she refuse? Their plan had failed. If he thought she wasn't an Oracle, he'd probably kill her. If he thought she was, he'd… what? Elijah's words still haunted her- ' _he would stop at nothing to possess you._ '

"I…"

"Choose your words carefully, my dear," said Klaus in a low, dangerous voice. "You plotted against me and failed. Your bodyguard is lying there daggered. You know who and what I am."

She breathed deep and gave in. She had to. Who knew what Klaus would do if she denied him?

"Your blood," she sighed, closing her eyes. "Your blood is the cure for a werewolf bite."

Klaus smiled. "I knew there was something about you. Such an odd choice for Elijah to ally himself with." He walked to the kitchen, grabbing a glass and giving it to Stefan with some of his blood in it. "When I was in that teacher's body, you knew. You knew about the ring of fire. That Greta was my witch bodyguard. I came here to break my curse. I needed a vampire, a werewolf and a doppelganger and somehow all of your loved ones mysteriously survived."

Josie just looked at him stonily. Stefan put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Greta," Klaus said, walking over to where the witch was standing with her brother and father. He reached out and ripped the chain that connected their shackles. He left the cuffs on the two warlocks though, presumably as they still inhibited their magic. "You're free to go."

There were tears in Greta's eyes as her father and brother led her out the door. Now it was just Josie, Katherine, Klaus and Stefan in the apartment. Katherine had awoken a few minutes earlier, but stayed silent.

"And you," said Klaus, turning to Stefan. "I trust you'll behave now that I have your girlfriend's sister?"

Josie bristled at that, though she was glad that Klaus' ever-present soft spot for Stefan hadn't lessened by his participation in their plan.

"I don't belong to you," she said. "You can't own people."

"You'll do as I say," said Klaus. "If you want your precious little town to remain intact."

"We had a deal," she said, the words falling out of her mouth before she could even think. "I mean…"

He stepped even closer to her, baring his teeth. "You just tried to kill me. You used my trust in my brother against me. As much as I enjoyed our game of cat and mouse, the only reason your heart is still beating is because you're more valuable to me alive than dead."

Josie gasped at his words, though there was some measure of comfort knowing he wasn't planning to kill her.

"So what now?" she asked. "I won't be useful chasing werewolves."

Klaus chuckled at that. "Not an Oracle, are we?"

Josie crossed her arms in annoyance at his mocking tone.

"You should be flattered, love. I've lived for a thousand years, it's a rare occurrence when I find something I've never seen before."

"Lucky me," Josie said sarcastically, plopping down on the couch.

Klaus blurred in front of her. "Don't mistake me," he growled, leaning over her. "You'll do what I say or I will kill everyone you've ever met in retaliation for your little plot. On the whole I think I'm being quite generous."

She remembered Katherine's family and bit back the retort forming on her tongue.

"Fine," she sighed. "But you have to help Damon."

"Damon?" asked Klaus, with an eyebrow raised.

"He was bit by a werewolf," Stefan said. "We need your blood."

Klaus walked back over to where Stefan was standing.

"And what will you give me in return?" Klaus asked.

"I'll do whatever you want," said Stefan.

Klaus regarded him for a moment. "Trouble is, you're no good to me like this. You are just shy of useless."

Josie cringed, knowing what Klaus was about to do.

"No," whispered Josie. She really did not want to meet Ripper Stefan.

Klaus smiled at her. "I love these little tests. What am I about to do?"

Josie stayed silent.

"What am I about to do?" he growled.

She flinched. "You want Stefan to drink human blood. You want to make him a ripper again," she said, quietly.

"You are remarkable," said Klaus, smiling and turning back to Stefan. "Now…. I heard about this one vampire. Crazy bloke. On and off the wagon for decades. When he was off, he was magnificent. 1917, in Monterey he went and wiped out an entire migrant village. A true ripper."

"I haven't been that way in a very long time," said Stefan.

"Well that's the vampire I can make a deal with," said Klaus. "That, along with my Oracle, is the kind of talent I can use when I leave this town."

"I'm not yours," Josie said, dejectedly.

This was not how today was supposed to go. She couldn't be stuck with Klaus. They were supposed to be rid of him. Elijah was going to live happily ever after with his siblings. Josie was going to find a witch (maybe Elijah could help) and finally, finally, go home.

Josie went over to where Katherine was and freed her. She sat down next to Katherine on the floor. The vampire just looked at her with pity.

Josie looked at her phone and saw she had a ton of missed calls and texts. Everyone knew they were coming to take Klaus out and expected to have heard back by now. She started to type a text to Elena, but didn't know what to say. How could she convey what had happened in a text message?

She was afraid they'd send a rescue team and come in, guns blazing. Without Elijah and Jonas, the Scoobies didn't stand a chance against Klaus. Josie took a deep breath and deleted her draft. She'd call Elena later.

Klaus went and got a bottle from the kitchen. "There it is," he said, filling it with his blood. "You want to save your brother? How 'bout a decade long bender? I have big plans for you, when we leave this town."

Stefan shook his head. "I'm not like that anymore."

"Well that's too bad," said Klaus, pouring his blood down the drain. "You would have made a hell of a wingman. Suppose it'll just be me and Josie."

Josie's eyes went wide, mentally pleading with Stefan not to leave her alone with Klaus.

"Wait," said Stefan.

Klaus stopped pouring and offered, well, forced Stefan to drink a blood bag.

"I can't watch this," said Josie, getting up and going over to Alaric's bedroom.

"Where're you going, love?" asked Klaus. "Don't want to miss the show."

"I've already seen it once," she answered and laid down on Alaric's bed.

She looked at the ceiling and tried to ignore the sounds from the other room. She wasn't surprised when Katherine came and laid down beside her.

"So you're an Oracle, huh?" asked Katherine, trying to distract them both.

"Not a very good one, it seems," said Josie, turning to face Katherine. "I didn't know the Martins were a bunch of traitors."

"They'll get what's coming to them," growled Katherine.

Josie looked at her in surprise. Why would Katherine care?

"Greta was in love," Josie sighed, rolling her eyes. "Stupid as that is. And Jonas… he was just trying to protect his daughter."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Sounds like she didn't want to be protected."

"Maybe that means she needed it the most?"

Katherine just shook her head. "Your problem is that you're too trusting."

"Maybe you're not trusting enough," countered Josie, though she smiled as she said it. Of course Katherine would say that. "Elijah didn't betray me. Neither did you. Not really. Ironically, I'm the one who tempted Klaus with the moonstone and the ritual, then tried to desiccate him when his back was turned."

She frowned. She didn't like it when she viewed the situation from that angle.

Katherine looked like she wanting to say something disparaging about Klaus, probably to the effect of 'He deserves to be betrayed', but her fear of Klaus overhearing kept her tongue in check.

Josie sighed. "Klaus might ask you to take his blood to Damon in order to cure him. If he does, promise me you will?"

"I have to do what Klaus tells me to do, Josie," said Katherine, though this was clearly for Klaus' benefit, in case he was listening. She mouthed 'Of course I will' to Josie.

'Thank you' mouthed Josie. She texted Elena, telling her that Stefan was working on the cure and to tell Damon to hold on a little while longer.

They laid there for another 15 minutes, each lost in their own thoughts, Josie pointedly ignoring the constant beeping of her cell phone, until they heard Stefan groaning in the other room. Sighing, Josie got up and went back into the living room, followed by Katherine.

"No more," Stefan was saying. "Not until you give me the cure."

"Not until we make a deal," amended Klaus. "It's your choice, Stefan. You can either remain here, living your life in Mystic Falls, or you can embrace what you truly are. Leave town with me and Josie, and save your brother's life."

Stefan grabbed the blood bag and began eating again. Jesus wasn't he full already?

Klaus was pleased. "That's the spirit."

Then he turned to Katherine and compelled her to take the cure to Damon.

Stefan looked distraught. "She'll never take it to him."

At that moment, Josie was hit with a vision. She saw Katherine giving Damon the cure, telling him to thank Josie and Stefan. She saw Elena asking where Stefan and Josie were. Where was Klaus taking them? And why?

Josie blinked as she was pulled back to reality.

"What did you see, my dear?" asked Klaus.

"What? What do you mean?" She hated that she couldn't hide her visions.

"This isn't going to work very well if you resist me at every turn," said Klaus. "You should realize by now that I always get what I want."

Josie sighed. "I saw Katherine giving Damon the cure. Elena knows Stefan and I are here with you. They won't stop looking for us. You should know that."

"Well, then let's make sure we are very far away by the time they come looking," Klaus said, getting up.

Josie stayed in place. "No, I'm not going unless we make a deal."

"There's no deal," Klaus said in a threatening tone. "You already betrayed one deal. I gave up one of my favorite witches for you."

"That's the first thing," said Josie, moving closer so she could be as eye-level as possible with Klaus. "I am not Greta. I will not be serving you in the same ways she did."

Josie hoped Klaus would get the hint without her needing to spell it out.

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Fair enough." He blatantly looked her up and down. "Interesting visions you have."

"Yeah and if I could scrub out my mind with Clorox, I'd do it. Anyway," she said hastily, reminding herself that snide comments weren't helping her situation, "It's the 21st century. You can't own people. I'll go with you and help you start your new hybrid bloodline if I can. I won't tell my family where I am and I won't resist you. But then I want to come back here."

She had made the decision to go with him when she was laying on Alaric's bed. She could just tell him right now that it was Elena's blood he needed, but she wasn't sure that was the right thing to do.

She couldn't abandon Elijah. Elijah who was so noble and loyal and who had saved her so many times. It was her fault Klaus thought Elijah had betrayed him. If she told Klaus about Elena's blood now, would Elijah ever awaken again?

She'd just have to stick close to Klaus and wait for an opportunity to remove the dagger. She could put up with Klaus for a few months to save Elijah. She owed him that much.

Plus, who knows what would happen if she told Klaus about Elena's blood now? Even with her visions, it was so hard to predict what would happen. No, she had learned her lesson about straying too far from the original storyline.

Klaus looked down at her, staring into her eyes. "Out of the question. As of this moment, you and your Sight are mine."

"I can still be your Oracle from here," she said, trying for logic. "My family and friends will never stop looking for me. You've seen how stubborn they can be. And if you kill them, you'll lose your leverage."

Klaus looked at her angrily and grabbed Stefan roughly. "How about I start with Stefan?"

Josie raised an eyebrow. "I know you won't kill Stefan. And I know why."

Klaus frowned at her, but didn't release Stefan.

"I'm much more valuable to you if I cooperate," she said seriously.

He looked at her with a curious expression. "I see Elijah chose his ally well."

"I chose him," corrected Josie.

Klaus looked at her for a few long moments, but she just returned his gaze, unblinking. She was terrified of him, of course, but she didn't want him to know that. This was important to her for some reason. She couldn't, wouldn't be a victim. Having a deal made it better, somehow.

"Alright," he began. "If you prove your loyalty to me, I'll consider granting you leave to live wherever you choose. As long as you understand that you and your Sight are mine, wherever you are. If you are trying to betray me in any way, I'll keep you on a leash. Literally."

Josie gulped at his threat. She had no doubt he would.

She wondered if he was lying about letting her come back to Mystic Falls. Most likely. He probably thought the hope of returning would keep her compliant.

Did it really matter though? She was going home anyway one day. Elijah was what mattered now. That and keeping her loved ones safe.

Plus, he wasn't the only one with leverage. He had no idea where he father was, no idea there was an entire bridge made out of wood that could kill him.

Josie tilted her head. "Deal."

With that, Klaus led her and Stefan out of the apartment. Once they were in Klaus' car, she asked if they could stop by her house so she could get some things. All she had was her purse. Though she was grateful for that. She had a feeling her white oak stake would provide great comfort in the coming days, even if she swore she'd never use it.

Klaus shook his head. "We can stop by a shop later. You'll just have to say your good-byes over the phone. And remember, if you let anyone know where we are…"

Josie rolled her eyes. "I know," she said, looking down at her phone, which had an alarming amount of missed calls and texts.

She called Elena and braced herself.

"Josie? Oh my god, where are you?"

"I'm… okay. Stefan and I are with Klaus."

"With Klaus? Why? Why isn't he desiccated? Where is Elijah?"

"Elijah's been daggered," said Josie, trying to calm her emotions as she said that statement. "The Martins…" she trailed off. "Katherine will be there soon. She can explain."

"Katherine?"

"She has the cure, Elena. Damon's going to be fine." Josie closed her eyes, trying to steel herself. "You guys take care of each other okay? Jeremy and Jenna too."

"Josie, you're scaring me. What's going on?"

"Stefan and I are leaving with Klaus. I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise. I'm sorry."

She hung up, unable to keep it together anymore. She cried silently in the back until Klaus pulled into the parking lot of a warehouse.

They got out of the car and went in. A couple of guys were loading Elijah's body into a waiting casket.

"Don't even think about it," said Klaus to Josie, as he closed the coffin on Elijah. "There may be a time when I decide to let him out, but it won't be soon."

Josie just stayed silent, standing next to Stefan.

"And I'll be taking that," said Klaus, pointing toward her phone.

Josie sighed, though she realized that Klaus probably wouldn't let her keep it. She handed it over.

"So, what is it that you really want from me?" Stefan asked. "Why won't you kill me?"

"All will be explained in time," said Klaus, giving Josie a warning glance, telling her not to tell Stefan of their shared history. "Once we leave this tragic little town."

"Then let's fucking go," said Josie.

"Not quite yet," said Klaus. "I have a gift for you, Stefan." He turned. "Come here, sweetheart." A young girl was walking toward them. "Don't be afraid. See I want to make sure you honor our deal. Both of you."

He looked at Josie. "This is what happens when you serve a vampire," he said, his face changing to his hybrid face. Then he bit the girl.

Josie cringed, seeing the terror in the girl's eyes and her anguished cries. Josie was crying too. This was awful. She just wanted to go home.

"I could have compelled her to behave, but a real ripper enjoys the hunt," said Klaus.

Then he released the girl and she ran. Josie wanted to go after her, but forced herself to stay in place. She watched, horrified, as Stefan blurred in front of the girl and fed on her until she dropped to the ground. All the while, tears were streaming down Josie's face.

"There, there," said Klaus, mockingly comforting her. "As long as it wasn't one of your friends and family, right?"

Josie looked at him and her anger flared, his words hitting a little too close to home.

"You fucking asshole," she cried, beating him in the chest.

Klaus took her wrists in one hand and held them tightly. He put on his hybrid face again and growled at her.

"If you ever raise your hand to me again, I'll break that leash out and tie you up."

Josie gasped, frozen at his words.

Klaus just looked from Josie's face to Stefan's and smiled. "Now we can go."

 **A/N: So ends Season 2… On one hand, Josie managed to save a lot of people that originally died (Jenna, Uncle John, the Martins). On the other hand, Klaus still won and people still died. And now she is stuck with Klaus (at least for now).**


	30. The Summer (Part One)

**A/N: The first of the 'Summer' chapters. I just wanted to thank everyone who's reviewed, faved, followed and viewed this story. I really appreciate it!**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

Klaus led them back to the car with Stefan in the front seat and Josie in the back. He drove for a few hours in silence and Stefan and Josie followed suit. It was late afternoon when they stopped in a suburb outside of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Josie smiled when she saw they were at a shopping mall. Klaus exited the car and returned a few minutes later with two security guards.

Klaus turned to Josie. "This is Harold and Frank," he said, indicating the two guards. "They're going to keep you safe." Josie rolled her eyes. "You have two hours to pack a suitcase, then Harold and Frank will escort you back here." He handed Josie a credit card and sent her on her way.

Josie didn't waste any time. She knew it was petty, but she went to the most expensive stores and bought a bunch of designer clothes and accessories. Harold and Frank must have been compelled to be compliant because by the time they escorted her to the parking lot two hours later, they were silently struggling under the weight of all the bags.

"Did you purchase the entire shopping mall?" asked Klaus, eyebrow raised.

"Well I had to start from scratch," huffed Josie.

Klaus peered into one of the bags as Harold and Frank loaded them into the back of the car.

"Wear this later and we'll call it even," he said, reaching in and pulling out a black lace bra.

Josie scoffed and snatched the bra out of his hand.

"Pig," she muttered, wanting to shout in his face what an asshole he was, but not quite daring to. She was still amazed that she was alive at this point.

"I'm a wolf, love," smirked Klaus.

Josie rolled her eyes, but bit back the retort on her tongue, his earlier words of threatening to tie her up still ringing in her ears.

It was already late in the day, so they drove to a hotel in downtown Charlotte. Josie was ecstatic when Klaus was able to secure a three bedroom suite. Thankful for a shower and a little alone time, she went straight to sleep.

She was startled awake by a knock at the door.

"Josie?" called Stefan.

She got up and opened the door. "Stefan, it's 6.30 in the morning."

"Klaus wants to leave in 30 minutes," he said apologetically.

Josie frowned. "I thought vampires were creatures of the night."

"There's breakfast in the dining room," he offered. "And coffee."

Josie yawned. "I'll be out soon."

20 minutes later, she headed to the dining room. Both Stefan and Klaus were there, drinking blood.

"Ah, Josie. So glad you could join us," said Klaus, looking up from his phone.

"Morning," she said, sliding into a seat.

She figured she should return his attempt at being cordial. It would be a very long trip otherwise. Unlike Stefan, she couldn't sit in brooding silence forever.

"I trust you slept well?" asked Klaus.

"Yes, thank you," she said, trying for a civil smile as she poured some coffee. "And you?"

He seemed amused at her attempt at formal politeness.

"Very well," he answered, returning to his phone.

There were a few minutes of silence as Josie served herself some breakfast and started eating. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and asked the question she'd been dying to ask since yesterday.

"So, where are we going?" she asked casually.

"South," Klaus replied, not looking up from his phone.

Josie rolled her eyes. Yeah, she'd figured that out herself.

"Do we have a destination?"

"I thought that would have been obvious."

Josie frowned. "You're not…"

"Your boyfriend's wolf pack should only be a day ahead of us," said Klaus.

Mason's pack had definitely not returned to Florida, warned by Josie.

"He's not my boyfriend," she mumbled, sipping her coffee.

Her heart panged when she thought of Tyler. Was he with his pack or had he chosen to remain in Mystic Falls? Did he even know she was gone?

"I'll be doing them a favor," said Klaus. "There's a reason it's called a curse."

Josie wondered if he knew about the sire bond already.

"And if they don't want to become a vampire?" she asked.

"A hybrid, Josie."

"Right, what if they don't want to be a hybrid?"

Klaus just ignored her.

This is going to be a fun trip, she thought sarcastically, though she didn't dare voice the thought aloud.

They were nearly done with breakfast when she was hit with a vision.

She saw Elena and Damon, pouring over newspaper articles, searching for any clues on Stefan and Josie's whereabouts. Elena calling Lexi, asking for her help in tracking down her old friend. Anna asking her mom for help in finding Josie and Stefan.

Knowing Klaus' question, Josie proceeded to tell him everything that she saw, including the fact that none of them seemed to have a clue where Josie, Stefan and Klaus really were.

"You saw all that?" Stefan asked. "Just now?"

Josie nodded.

"How often do you get visions?" Klaus asked, his curiosity obviously piqued.

Josie shrugged. "Depends. Some days none at all. Some days 1 or 2. They're not always important or profound. Most of the time they're not."

"It is imperative that you tell me of every vision you get," said Klaus. "Do you understand me?"

Josie nodded.

Did he want to know about the one she had before bed, of Greta crying because she'd been abandoned by Klaus? She doubted it.

After Josie finished breakfast, they headed out of the hotel. They drove the entire day, only stopping for lunch and bathroom breaks, and mostly in silence. They spent the night in a little town just on the border of a forest where the pack often camped. Unfortunately, the only accommodation the little town had was a small motel.

Josie and Stefan stayed outside while Klaus spoke to the clerk to get accommodation for the night. He came out with two keys and Josie held her hand out, just wanting a shower and her bed.

"Can I help you?" asked Klaus, looking at her outstretched hand.

"I just want my key," she said, thinking it was obvious.

"Your key?" he repeated.

"Yes, my key," she said, wondering what game he was playing. "We have two rooms. Obviously one is for girls and one is for boys."

"It's not kindergarten, love."

Josie frowned. "I can't stay in the same room as you."

"You'll do just that. I'm not letting you stay in your own room where any vampire can just waltz right in without an invitation and take you."

"Take me? Nobody knows I'm here," said Josie, trying to keep the sarcastic, condescending tone out of her voice. "I don't even know where here is!"

"I highly doubt the Martins will keep their mouths shut about what you are. Not to mention all your friends and family who are so eager to rescue you from your fate." He came to stand in front of her, practically growling. "You're not getting your own room."

"Can I at least share with Stefan, then?" she asked, hating the pleading tone in her voice. "He can protect me. I don't even know you."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "Absolutely not. He won't do anything if your friends come calling." He paused. "Stefan is welcome to stay in our room, however."

Josie clenched her jaw at 'our room', but didn't say anything, just grabbed her purse and imagined the terrified look in Klaus' eye if she were to shove that white oak stake through his dead, unfeeling heart.

Stefan just nodded, clearly not wanting Josie to stay alone with Klaus either.

When they walked into the room, the first thing Josie noticed was there were only two beds. Well, duh, most hotel rooms have two beds. And no couch.

"I'll take the floor," said Stefan, without prompting.

Josie smiled. "Thanks, Stefan. Nice to be traveling with a gentleman."

It was a subtle dig at Klaus of course, but one he thankfully didn't retaliate for, nor acknowledge.

Showering was tricky as the bathroom wasn't well ventilated and she refused to come out in just a towel. So she had to get dressed and undressed in the steamy bathroom. She definitely preferred the suite.

When she got out, Stefan and Klaus were quietly reading. She was just getting into bed, when she had another vision. She saw herself, Stefan and Klaus standing in the middle of a campground. Klaus was furious as he knew the wolf pack hadn't been back since coming to Mystic Falls. He accused Josie of warning them, which she denied. Klaus warned her that she better find another pack or he was going to go back to Mystic Falls and start killing her friends and family.

"What did you see?" asked Klaus.

Josie had been working to mask when she got a vision, but clearly there was something that gave her away.

"The pack we're looking for isn't here."

"Really?" asked Klaus, looking up from his book. "You wouldn't be trying to save your little wolf boy from being a hybrid, would you?"

"No. I'm just telling you what I saw." She hopped into bed and rolled over. "You can believe it or not," she said, turning off her light.

She was startled awake in the middle of the night by a sharp pain. She screamed and realized it was Stefan, biting into her neck. It felt like forever, but was probably only a few seconds before Stefan was ripped away by Klaus. Clearly he was not well in control of his bloodlust (no surprise there) if he was attacking her in the middle of the night.

"Stefan!" Klaus shouted, his face all vamped out.

He stood between Josie and Stefan, adopting a protective stance. Josie managed to turn her head and saw that Stefan was looking at her with a horrified expression on his face. She was crying. It felt like someone had stabbed her in the neck. The pain was horrible.

"Josie… oh, oh god," Stefan stammered. "I'm sorry. I was just sleeping and I…"

Klaus furrowed his brow. "If it wasn't clear, my Oracle is off limits," he said, snarling.

Stefan wiped the blood off his face, clearly distraught. "You wanted me out of control…"

Klaus seemed annoyed, but turned to Josie, who was still crying and a mess of blood and tears.

"Shh… love," he said, biting his wrist and feeding her his blood. "You're fine."

Josie felt the pain go away and her wounds stitch themselves together. Klaus picked her up and carried her back to his bed as hers was a complete mess. He laid her down and pulled the covers over them both.

"Sleep," he whispered in her ear.

The pain gone, and oddly feeling safe with Klaus beside her, Josie drifted back to sleep.

When she awoke the next morning, the first thing she noticed was that she was lying next to someone warm. Thinking maybe it was a dream and she was thinking of Tyler, she snuggled into it, enjoying the warmth. Then a voice broke the illusion.

"If you keep wiggling like that, love, you're going to create a problem for both of us."

Her eyes flew open and she scrambled out of bed, falling onto the floor. She looked up at the bed she'd fallen out of, and there, with a smug smile on his handsome face, was Klaus.

Despite her shock and disgust, she couldn't help but think he looked sexy, with his bare chest and sleep-tousled hair. Where had that thought come from, Josie wondered. Ugh, why did he have to be so hot?

She got to her feet and reached for her neck.

"What happened?" she asked, still a bit groggy.

"My ripper decided to take a bite out of you last night," frowned Klaus, getting up.

Josie narrowed her eyes at him. You made him that way, you evil jerk, she wanted to shout.

"Where is Stefan?" was all she said.

"In the shower."

As if on cue, Stefan stepped out of the bathroom. When he saw Josie, he lowered his eyes.

"It's okay, Stefan," said Josie, before he could say anything. "I don't blame you."

She grabbed her stuff and marched into the bathroom.

When Klaus was in the bathroom some time later, Stefan approached Josie, sitting next to her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. "I'm so sorry, Josie. I don't know what happened. With all the blood I've been drinking…" he fell silent.

"It's okay, Stefan." She grabbed his hand. "I know it's not you. Not really."

He squeezed her hand and looked her in the eye. "I would never consciously hurt you, Josie."

"I know."

Stefan hung his head. "It's probably the same reason that I blackout sometimes when I…"

"I know," she said. "I know about your past. You don't have to say it."

"You should stay away from me, Josie. I should sleep in a different room at least."

"Are you kidding me? No way. We're in this together, Stefan."

She smiled and pulled him into a reluctant hug. She hoped what she was saying was true. She didn't know what was going to happen with Stefan. How far would Klaus push him? Would anything of the Stefan she'd known remain when they were done?

The bathroom door opened and Klaus appeared.

"Switching sisters already?" he smirked, watching Josie and Stefan hug.

Josie rolled her eyes, but didn't respond. She was determined not to let Klaus get to her and not give him a reason to tie her up. She idly wondered how long she could play the calm, cool, detached Oracle without going crazy.

After they had breakfast, they headed to the campground. The scene played out just like it had in her head, except Klaus didn't threaten to go back to Mystic Falls, strangely. He just accepted her answer and they spent the rest of the day going to other campgrounds.

They spent that night in the same motel. Except Josie couldn't sleep. Remembering Stefan tearing into her neck, she just laid there, tensing every time Stefan twitched while he slept on the floor. Around 2 a.m., he sat up and looked at her, vamp face fully revealed.

She screamed and, in an instant, Klaus was at her side and Stefan's face had returned to normal. Stefan looked distraught as he apologized over and over.

"Why can't I just have my own room?" asked Josie.

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "I told you why."

"But…"

"Don't ask me again," he growled, making it clear he didn't like repeating himself.

"So I'm just supposed to never sleep again?" she asked.

"It's fine, Josie. I'll go to the other room," said Stefan, getting up and not looking her in the eye.

Josie's heart dropped as she watched Stefan grab his bag and head out of the room.

Klaus looked like he might say something, but she flopped down on her bed and pulled the covers over her head.

"Just stay away from me," she whispered, knowing he could hear her.

Thankfully, he didn't respond, just went back to his own bed. Exhausted, and hating that she felt safer with Stefan gone, Josie fell asleep almost instantly.

They next day followed much as the day before. They went to various campgrounds and Klaus questioned a number of the people in the small town, trying in vain to get a lead on the pack's location. It wasn't until late evening that he found someone connected to the pack, a middle-aged man who's daughter was a werewolf.

"Where've they gone?" asked Klaus, hitting the man across the face.

Josie winced. He was on vervain and so couldn't be compelled. She was standing to the side, next to Stefan as they watched Klaus interrogate the man.

"I don't know," the man said. "After what happened in Virginia, after you sacrificed one of them to break your curse, they decided to disappear."

"And you've no idea where they went?" asked Klaus, gripping the man by the neck.

"I didn't ask."

Klaus hit him again. "I can keep this up all day you know."

"Maybe he doesn't know," offered Josie. "Wouldn't that have been the smart thing to do? Plausible deniability."

It did seem like the man was telling the truth. She felt like she should say something.

"She's right," wheezed the man, clearly in a lot of pain. "They knew you'd come looking for them."

"And your daughter left you here all alone and unprotected?" asked Klaus.

"I'm not afraid of a half-breed freak like you," the man said proudly.

Josie thought she saw a hurt look flit across Klaus' face before it was replaced by his usual impassive expression.

"I think you're right, love," said Klaus turning to Josie. "He doesn't know anything."

Then he snapped the guy's neck.

Josie gave a little scream and watched the man's body slump down to the ground. She looked at Stefan who was standing beside her and buried her face in his chest. Despite the fact that he'd attacked her in the middle of the night, Stefan was still a source of comfort during her waking hours. She wondered how long that would last.

"Let's go," Klaus growled.

He went out towards the car and Stefan and Josie followed him.

As they sat and ate dinner, Josie wondered how much comments like the man's bothered Klaus. It had been a low blow- attacking his what he was, rather than his actions. She had never liked words like 'freak' or 'abomination'. Klaus hadn't chosen to be a hybrid. His mother had stepped out on his father and both of them had then conspired to make their children vampires.

She suddenly felt bad for everything she'd said about him when he was in Alaric's body. She only said those things because they obviously weren't true. She mentally shook her head. She had to stop thinking like this. Klaus had killed that guy. He would have killed her. He had threatened to tie her up. How on earth could she feel sorry for him?

They were just finishing dinner when Josie had a vision of a werewolf pack near St. Louis. Klaus just nodded and indicated they were driving to St. Louis because he wanted to stop in Alabama to investigate another lead he had.

The next day was a long day spent in the car, mostly in silence. By the end of it, Josie was going insane. Klaus seemed to be in a good mood when they stopped for the night in a small town in Alabama, so she broached the subject of calling Tyler. She was sure Elena had told him what had happened by now. She felt like she should call him. They hadn't really had a proper goodbye.

"He's not with his uncle's pack, is he?" asked Klaus, though he seemed less concerned with tracking down Mason's pack now that he had two promising leads.

"No," she lied. She had no idea if Tyler was with his pack or not. "He's back in Mystic Falls. Please, Klaus. I won't tell him where I am."

She hated this. Hated that she had to ask permission to make a fucking phone call. She eyed her purse, which she always did in times like these, the prescence of her white oak stake somewhat reassuring. Klaus wasn't the only one with power here. Even if he didn't know it.

Klaus sighed and glanced at the motel's landline. "Phone's there."

Josie smiled and dialed Tyler's number.

"Hello?" Tyler answered.

"Tyler!"

"Josie, where are you? Are you okay? Elena told me what happened."

"I'm fine. Stefan and I are fine," she amended. "How is Mystic Falls? How's your mom?"

"Everyone's fine here," Tyler said, hastily. "Where are you? Are you with Klaus?"

"I can't tell you where I am, but I promise I'm fine."

"Josie, you can't trust him. You can't trust that he won't hurt you. He's a monster."

"If you keep going on like that, wolf boy," Klaus interrupted. "I'll come back to Mystic Falls to show you how monstrous I can be."

"He's there?" asked Tyler, his voice suddenly lower.

"Yeah," sighed Josie, still annoyed by the sleeping arrangements.

"Didn't she tell you we're roommates?" asked Klaus.

Josie shot him a look.

"What the hell, Josie? You're sharing a room with him?"

"I like to keep my most precious possessions close to me," said Klaus, smirking.

Fucking prick. What was his problem?

"Has he, has he…?" Clearly Tyler couldn't bring himself to ask that horrible question.

"No," said Josie, giving Klaus a dirty look. "He just doesn't trust that I won't run away or someone won't take me."

She decided not to mention that Stefan also wasn't in the room. That just made it worse.

"We have to get you out of there, Josie," said Tyler, concern flooding his voice. "It's not safe there. Where are you?"

"I'm fine. I don't need to be rescued. Klaus and I made a deal."

Tyler sighed. "I'm just worried about you, babe."

"I know," said Josie. "But I'll be okay. I'll be home as soon as I can."

They continued talking, but about unimportant stuff. When they finally hung up, she shot Klaus another look.

"Did you have to tell him that we're roommates?" she asked, grumpily.

"It's the truth, love," said Klaus, not looking up from his book.

"So?" she asked, falling back on the pillows. "What's the point in him knowing that? I'm hoping when I go home we can get back together."

"Why? He's not nearly good enough for you."

"What?" exclaimed Josie, looking over at Klaus. "Tyler's great. You don't even know him."

"You need someone who can protect you. I'm not the only one who covets your unique abilities."

Josie frowned. "Tyler's a werewolf. He's very strong."

"I'm stronger," said Klaus, clearly unimpressed. "As is any vampire."

"Well I don't do vampires," said Josie, moodily staring back at the ceiling. "I'm not my sister. Or my brother."

Klaus smirked. "That's not what Katerina said."

Josie rolled her eyes. "I didn't date Damon. We just, you know, had fun."

"So you are capable, then?" he asked, eyebrow raised, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

She turned to look at him. If she didn't know better, she'd say he was teasing her. But Klaus didn't tease. He was mostly threatening, deliberating irritating or just ignored her completely.

Josie gave a nervous laugh before heading to the bathroom, not knowing how to react.

 **A/N: I don't want to go too dark with this story, but I do want to make sure I'm being realistic about the situation Josie is in. She's stuck helping Klaus, which will result in innocent people getting killed, all very far away from home and isolated from her loved ones. She's obviously a strong, adaptable person (she adjusted to being in TVD okay), but it's not going to be all sarcasm and rainbows either.**

 **For endgame pairing, I'm still not sure, but since Elijah and Josie had some time, I figure I'll give Josie and Klaus some time to interact. Also, a few people mentioned Kol. I'm trying to think about how he and Josie are going to interact. I suppose no matter what some people will be disappointed, so sorry about that :-(**


	31. The Summer (Part Two)

**A/N: I hope it's clear that Josie still hates Klaus (for now, they will at least be friends in the future) even if she does feel sorry for him at times (she's seen the show, so she knows that Klaus isn't all bad and has an awful past).**

 **She's acting subdued (and completely not herself) because she's understandably terrified of him. I'm going to deal with that this chapter.**

Klaus' werewolf lead in Alabama didn't pan out and they wasted two days traipsing around a national forest only to learn that the pack hadn't camped there in a number of years. When Klaus learned his information was bad, he sent Stefan to the private investigator who had given him the tip.

When Stefan returned that evening to tell Klaus his task was done, Josie was horrified to see that his clothes were bloodier than she had ever seen them. He didn't even look at Josie, just left for his room and didn't come back for the rest of the night. She shuddered, wondering what had happened. Was Ripper Stefan here? Would he act differently now?

He was definitely quieter the next day, but didn't seem all that different as they drove to St. Louis. When they finally arrived, Josie was grateful for a decent hotel room. It was a suite even, with a beautiful view of the Gateway Arch. She had her own room and it was great not to have Klaus around.

By the second night in St. Louis, Josie was bored. It was her 17th birthday (well Josie Gilbert's 17th birthday, at least) and she was stuck on the road trip from hell with a psychopath and a ripper. Plus, she was tired of spending night after night in a hotel room. They'd only been on the road for a week, but it felt much longer.

She missed her friends and her family back in Mystic Falls, not to mention Tyler. It was summer, so she was sure everyone was hanging out by the pool, having picnics in the park, generally just having a good time without her.

When they returned from the day's excursion, Josie suggested a night out, though she didn't mention it was her birthday. Stefan just said "no" and closed the door to his room. Josie frowned, but she understood. At Klaus' request, Stefan had drained two people that day, though only one had died.

She felt awful, knowing it was her vision that had brought them here. When she'd agreed to help Klaus back in Mystic Falls, she'd only thought of protecting her family and friends, of staying close enough to Klaus to get Elijah back. She hadn't considered that people would die due to their bargain.

She felt sick with guilt when she realized she wouldn't change it. Without her help, how long before Klaus went back to Mystic Falls to try and get Mason's pack information out of Tyler? Would Tyler have the same fate as the man in Florida?

She could still picture the man, slumped on the ground; could still hear the crack his neck had made when Klaus snapped it. But how was she any better? She was giving information to the enemy, so Klaus wouldn't turn his gaze back to Mystic Falls, so Elijah would be undaggered at some point.

She could end this now, most likely, by sharing the revelation that Elena's blood was the key to making hybrids, but that meant giving up on Elijah and subjecting her sister to a lifetime of being a human blood bag. She just couldn't accept that, so she'd have to live with blood on her hands.

"He'll come 'round," said Klaus, interrupting her thoughts. "He's just battling with himself."

Josie just shook her head, but didn't reply. Biting her tongue was becoming a habit around him. She hated it. She felt like she was one snide comment away from exploding.

"He's not the only one," said Klaus after a few seconds.

Josie frowned. "What do you mean?"

Klaus blurred in front of her. "You may hide your loathing of me well, my dear, but I've been around for a long time."

Josie wanted to spit in his smug face, but schooled her features into an impassive expression.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He smirked and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Such a docile creature. I'm starting to think you'd like it if I put you on a leash."

Josie gasped. That was it. The proverbial straw. The mental dam she'd erected burst wide open and she let loose all the anger she'd kept bottled up for the past week. She shoved him as hard as she could.

"Fuck you, Klaus! What the fuck is your problem?" she screamed.

He moved back and laughed loudly. "There it is! That fire! I was wondering where the girl was who barged into that teacher's apartment. Who dared poke the Big, Bad Wolf with her taunts."

His laughter only added fuel to her fire. She was livid.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? What kind of game are you playing, you sick son of a bitch?"

"No games, love," he said, still laughing. "Perhaps I'm tired of your demure schoolgirl act."

Josie scoffed and crossed her arms. "I thought you wanted me scared? Isn't that why you threatened me? Threatened my family?"

Klaus stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes. "You tried to kill me…"

"Desiccate!" she cut in. "Desiccate! Has anyone ever told you you're a fucking drama queen?"

She was still seething. She figured she was already as good as dead or locked up or whatever and had decided she was fucking done biting her tongue.

"No one who expected to live," he growled loudly.

His threat just set her off more. All her guilt, all her anger, both at him and herself, it all just came to the forefront and she shook with rage. She couldn't ever remember being so angry in her whole life.

"Then fucking do it, Klaus! Tie me up or rip out my heart. I'm just a human and you're the Big, Bad Hybrid. I can't stop you. So go ahead because I am done being afraid of you!"

Klaus' rage-filled expression changed to one of surprise. Clearly, he wasn't expecting her to say that.

"No?" she asked, raising her eyebrows, still shaking with rage. "Then stop threatening me! I'm sorry you felt betrayed by what Elijah and I were planning, but it's nothing you haven't done to him many times over. And what the fuck do you care? You won, I'm here, trying to help you find your fucking werewolves to build your master race. I don't think it's too much to ask that I'm treated with dignity and respect. I'm a person, not a fucking possession!"

She was practically screaming by the end of her rant. She tried to steady her breathing and calm her emotions. Her fear of Klaus' reaction was tempered by her overwhelming anger.

Throughout her tirade, Klaus had just stood across the room from her with an unreadable expression on his face. She blinked and Klaus was standing in front of her.

A few moments seemed to stretch into forever, marked only by the pounding of her heart. Would he kill her now? Lock her up? Something worse? His face betrayed no emotion, he just stared into her eyes, unblinking. She felt fear creeping back in as the seconds passed, but she refused to blink.

"Very well," he said, finally, his voice a little strained, his jaw clenched. "I can see why my brother found you so… intriguing."

Josie felt her heart ache a little at the mention of Elijah. She missed his comforting prescence.

"Elijah treated me with dignity and respect," Josie said, crossing her arms, but not looking away.

Klaus smiled, with just a hint of a smirk. "I sure he did."

Josie tilted her head. She didn't think she'd ever understand the man standing in front of her.

"Right." She gave him a polite smile and finally looked away. "Well, now that we understand each other… Don't wait up."

She turned toward the suite's door, but he appeared in front of her in a second.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Out," she answered. "I'm tired of either hunting werewolves or sitting in hotel rooms. We're in a city. It's a Saturday night."

She tried to move past him, but he blocked her.

"It's not safe for you to go wandering alone out of earshot."

Josie rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to run away and nobody is going to take me. Dignity and respect, Klaus."

Klaus looked at her with surprise. "You really don't understand the danger you're in."

"How am I in danger?" she asked, exasperated. "Who's going to kidnap me?"

"I can think of five people easily who would kill to get their hands on an Oracle," he said, seriously.

Josie frowned, looking into his eyes for some sign of deceit. "You're not joking."

"I'm sorry, my dear," he said, truly looking at least a little sorry. "Why do you think my brother was so insistent you keep your visions a secret?"

He sighed. "Perhaps, in time, we can find a magical means of protection, but for now…" Klaus trailed off.

"So compel me a bodyguard," she said, making it clear she had no intentions of staying in.

"Where were you planning on going?"

Josie shrugged. "There's a jazz bar a few blocks from here that the concierge recommended when we checked in."

"I enjoy jazz," said Klaus, grabbing his wallet.

"You're not invited, asshole," Josie huffed, annoyed at his interference. Just because he'd agreed to treat her like a human being didn't mean they were friends.

"Dignity and respect go both ways, Josie," he said, raising an eyebrow at her name-calling.

Josie sighed, recognizing the gesture to accompany her for what it was- a compromise. She was sure he'd prefer she didn't leave and she knew he had other things he was planning to do tonight.

"Fine. You're buying," she said, grabbing her purse and heading towards the door.

"Naturally."

Josie smiled at that. From only a week traveling with him, it was clear Klaus didn't lack for funds. Between that and compulsion, he got whatever he wanted and didn't mind sharing with his traveling companions.

They walked to the bar in awkward silence. She flashed her I.D. to the bouncer and walked in.

"Damon," she explained, when he seems surprised she was able to enter the bar with no problem. "I got him to compel a DMV employee a while back. I can't pass in Mystic Falls because everyone knows me, but it works like a charm everywhere else."

She didn't wait for a response, just walked up to the bar, leaving him near the entrance. She honestly didn't care if he followed or not. She was determined to enjoy her birthday and decided his presence didn't make a difference either way.

As it was, he took a seat several stools away from where she stood at the bar, clearly not wanting to impose his company on her. She smiled, appreciating the gesture.

"What can I get you?" asked the bartender.

"Diet coke and bourbon. Oh and everything is on his tab." She pointed to where Klaus was sitting. Klaus nodded to the bartender, giving his approval.

She turned toward the stage where the band was playing. She was standing at the bar, sipping her drink when a man came up beside her.

"Unbelievable band tonight, hmm?" he asked, smiling at her.

"They're really great," she agreed, smiling back.

"Do you come here often?"

She shook her head. "I'm just visiting St. Louis."

"An out-of-towner? Let me buy you a drink."

"Sure." He was pretty cute. "It is my birthday, after all."

"Two drinks, then!"

She laughed and nodded. Josie and the man, Dave, sat at the bar for a while, drinking and talking. When the band ended their set, Dave invited her back to his table of friends where he introduced her and they all did a few shots in honor of Josie's birthday.

All the while, Klaus just sat at the bar, drinking and occasionally talking to girls that would approach him.

"Do you know that guy?" asked Dave, nodding in Klaus' direction. "He keeps looking over here."

Josie frowned. What a complicated question.

"That's my boss," she said, figuring that was the easiest explanation.

"Oh. Should we invite him to join us? He's just sitting at the bar by himself."

"He prefers it that way," she said, quickly.

She felt a bit guilty, but she didn't want Klaus to join them. She was having a lot of fun with Dave and his friends and, well, Klaus was Klaus.

"Drink!" said one of Dave's friends, interrupting them by shoving two shot glasses over to Josie and Dave. They all did another round of shots, and another. Josie was no lightweight, but soon she was feeling the effects of the alcohol.

When Dave suggested they all go to the club across the street, Josie agreed. She was gearing up for a confrontation with Klaus, but surprisingly, he just grabbed the latest girl he'd been talking to at the bar and followed Josie to the nightclub.

Once inside, Klaus compelled himself one of the VIP table-service booths along the side of the club and invited Josie, Dave and his friends to join. Grateful for the table this time of night, they all readily agreed, much to Josie's chagrin.

"Champagne, sir," said the waitress, showing the bottle to Klaus. He nodded and she poured everyone a glass.

"To the birthday girl," said Klaus, smiling at Josie as he held up his glass.

Josie rolled her eyes at his eavesdropping, but smiled and lifted her glass with the rest of the group.

"So," said Dave, turning to Josie and rubbing his hands together. "Who's going to start the birthday spanking?"

Josie laughed.

"You have to catch me first," she teased, getting up and heading to the dance floor.

She thought she saw Klaus' face darken momentarily, but refused to let it bother her. Dave caught her wrist and twirled her around toward him. They danced and drank for the rest of the night. Klaus was surprisingly pleasant with Dave and his friends. He didn't even snack on the girl he'd brought from the jazz bar.

As Josie and Klaus walked back to the hotel in the pre-dawn hours, she found herself in a good mood. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was Klaus' new behavior, but she thought her birthday hadn't been so bad after all.

"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?" asked Klaus, breaking the silence.

Josie shrugged. "Honestly, I didn't think you'd care. And Stefan has his own stuff…" she trailed off.

"I enjoy birthdays," smiled Klaus, ignoring her comment about Stefan. "Especially birthday gifts."

He pulled out a small package from his back pocket. Josie frowned, immediately suspicious.

"It's not a bribe," said Klaus. "At least open it before you reject it."

Josie narrowed her eyes and tore the paper from the present. She gasped when she saw what it was.

"Wow… are you serious?" she asked, looking up at him with surprise.

It was a phone. The latest iPhone to be precise, but her awe was more the fact that it was a phone.

"Now, the same covenant stands," he said, seriously.

Josie nodded. "I don't want the cavalry to come any more than you do."

"I know," said Klaus, looking into her eyes with a strange expression.

Josie cleared her throat and looked away. "We really should get back. I can't believe how late it is."

They walked the rest of the way in silence. When they got to the suite, Josie looked over to Klaus before she headed to her room.

"Thank you," she said, with a small smile. "For the phone. For tonight. You know, maybe you're not 100% horrible."

"Careful, love, that almost sounds like a compliment," he said, smirking a bit.

Josie just rolled her eyes. "Good night, Klaus."

"Good night, Josie."

Josie went to her room and went straight to sleep. It was late morning when she woke up. She grabbed her new phone and dialed the Gilbert House.

It was Elena who answered.

"Hello?"

Josie smiled. It was good to hear Elena's voice.

"Elena!"

"Josie, oh my god! Are you okay? Where are you?"

"I'm fine. Really, I'm okay."

"Are you still with Klaus? Is Stefan there?"

Josie frowned, not knowing what to say about Stefan. She knew that Klaus had allowed Stefan to keep his phone, albeit with a different SIM, but that Stefan had decided not to call anyone back home.

"Yes, I'm with Klaus. Stefan's out at the moment. Running an errand."

"Where are you calling from? It says the number is unlisted."

Josie rolled her eyes, figuring Klaus must have designed it that way so the Scoobies couldn't trace them.

"Please stop asking where I am. I can't tell you." She paused. "Tell me about Mystic Falls. What's going on?"

Josie could hear the hesitation in Elena's voice, but soon Elena was telling Josie all about Caroline's efforts to cheer Elena up with dinners and picnics, Damon's recent drinking habits, how Anna and Jeremy were celebrating their 6 month anniversary, etc. Elena paused when Josie asked if she'd seen any of Josie's own friends around town.

"We told them you're in Guatemala," said Elena.

"Guatemala?"

"We had to say something, Josie. Caroline's cousin went there a few years ago to build eco-houses or something and he didn't have phone or internet access for weeks."

"I guess that makes sense."

A knock on her door interupted the conversation.

"We're leaving in 30 minutes," came Stefan's voice through the door.

"I have to go, Elena," said Josie.

"Wait, Josie, you haven't even told me what you're doing, where you are…"

"I'll call when I can," said Josie before hanging up.

Josie frowned, feeling conflicted. It had been great to hear Elena's voice, but the call left her more unsettled than she'd liked. Talking about Mystic Falls had just made her homesick and she definitely didn't want to talk about what she, Klaus and Stefan were doing. What would everyone back home say if they knew Josie had been helping Klaus find werewolves? That there were at least two people dead right now because of her?

She put her phone down and turned it off. She hated feeling this way, but she understood why Stefan hadn't wanted to call anyone back in Mystic Falls.


	32. The Summer (Part Three)

After her birthday, Josie felt more at ease around Klaus. While he was still the horrible hybrid who had threatened the lives of everyone she loved, there were times when she didn't loathe him entirely. Times when they were almost friendly, instead of hostile.

Klaus had softened somewhat with her too. She could tell. Instead of threatening or yelling when she pleaded with him to spare someone, he either spared them or just ignored her. He didn't drag her along for all of the more indelicate tasks they were doing, letting her stay in the car nearby while he and Stefan took care of business.

If Stefan noticed a difference, he didn't say anything. He didn't say much, not that he'd been a huge talker before. But as the days wore on, Josie recognized him less and less. He withdrew into himself more and more.

She wondered if her presence made it more difficult for him than it would have been otherwise. That she, Elena's sister, was here to witness everything he did (or at least see the evidence of it when he and Klaus returned to her). Every life he took, everyone he ripped apart was on open display, to someone who he had respected and who was close to the girl he loved.

Josie tried in vain to get Klaus to go easy on Stefan, but this was the one area where he never indulged her. Klaus seemed determined to get the Stefan back that he had met in the 20s, the 'brother' he had shared all those good times with.

They spent an entire week in St. Louis. Even though the information had come from a vision, they finally discovered that the pack didn't spend their summers there, or so they were told. Josie didn't know how many people died based on her vision, but the blood that covered Stefan nearly everyday continued to haunt her and her guilt kept piling up.

After St. Louis, they moved on to Idaho (no werewolves, just werewolf- enthusiasts), then California. Klaus got some information that one of the park rangers in Death Valley was a werewolf, possibly with a pack nearby. Klaus and Stefan managed to corner him in one of the park's stations, but he turned his weapon on himself, rather than tell them where his pack was.

Klaus was annoyingly moody that night, but was cheered considerably when Josie got a vision the next morning of a werewolf named Dan Russell near Grand Rapids, Michigan. After flying for most of the day, they spent the evening and next day tracking down his whereabouts. Finally, they were told that Dan tended to hang out in a bar just off main street after he got off work.

Josie sat at a table eating dinner, while Klaus prowled outside the entrance, asking everyone entering for their I.D. Stefan had gone to Dan's house in case he skipped the bar.

She was just finishing her sandwich when a guy came up to her.

"You look like you could use another one," he said, sliding a Corona in front of her.

Josie smiled. He was kinda cute. "Thanks."

"Mind if I join you?" he asked. "I'm Adam, by the way."

"Go right ahead, Adam. I'm Josie."

He smiled and sat across from her. They were only talking for a few minutes when another man came up to them.

"See you got the warning about the psycho bouncer out front, Danny," said Adam, standing up to greet the man.

Josie's eyes widened. This man was the werewolf, Dan, from her vision. She couldn't help smiling at Adam's comment- the 'psycho bouncer' was obviously Klaus.

"Yep." Danny's smile quickly turned to a frown as soon as he saw Josie's face. "Is there a reason you're chatting up that psycho's girlfriend?"

"I… what?" exclaimed Josie, wondering how Danny even knew she was associated with Klaus. "I'm not his girlfriend."

"Really?" asked Danny. "My beta saw the two of you at Sam's together."

Sam's was the motel they were staying at.

"I just work for him," said Josie, frowning.

"I bet you do," Danny said crudely, looking her up and down.

Josie rolled her eyes.

"Lay off, Danny," said Adam. "What does it matter?"

Danny produced a knife out of nowhere. "Suppose it doesn't," he said, roughly grabbing her arm. "Not another word. My beta overheard you and the psycho talking earlier today. I know who he is and I have no intention of joining some hybrid army."

Danny grabbed her and dragged her out the back, while Adam trailed behind them with an unsure expression on his face. There was an RV parked near the back entrance and Danny opened the door and threw Josie in. She tumbled to the floor.

"Get out of here, Adam," said Danny. "Or he'll come after you."

Adam looked unsure, watching Josie as she lay on the ground.

"Go!" Danny insisted. "I'm not gonna hurt her, but I need to protect my pack."

Adam looked at Danny and nodded. He left without another word.

Danny climbed into the RV and looked down at Josie.

"The only thing worse than a vampire is a vampire lover," he said with disgust.

Josie rolled her eyes. "I'm not a vampire lover."

"You're helping that monster. You're no better than he is," Danny growled.

Josie bit her lip, his words hitting a little too close for comfort.

"He threatened my family and friends," she countered. "What would you do?"

"I'd rather die than help a vampire hurt innocent people," Danny said, looking down at her with hate-filled eyes.

Josie blanched. No doubt he was telling the truth. Is that what she should have done? Resisted Klaus to the last? She lowered her head, not wanting to see the look of loathing in Danny's eyes.

A second later, the door to the RV was ripped off it's hinges and in the doorway stood Klaus, hybrid face on full display.

"Let her go," he roared, but his forward progress was stopped. Clearly Danny spent enough time in the RV for it to be considered a residence and Klaus had no invite. Klaus growled and began shaking the entire RV in his rage.

Danny grabbed Josie by the arm and pulled her up. He took a wary step back towards the other side of the RV.

"Stop! Before I cut her throat," Danny said, pulling out the knife.

Josie struggled against Danny, but it was useless. Even if he hadn't been a werewolf, he had six inches and probably a hundred pounds on her. She felt cold fear travel down her spine when he pressed the knife to her throat.

All of a sudden, something broke through the window near Danny's head, showering him and Josie with glass. She felt Danny's grip go limp and she turned and saw that Stefan had shoved a steel bar through the back of Danny's head.

Josie screamed and ran toward the door, straight into Klaus. She gripped the front of his shirt, letting her tears fall as she remembered the knife pressed against her throat and the awful words Danny had thrown in her face.

It was clear Klaus wasn't sure what to do, because he just stood there awkwardly while she sobbed into his chest. To his credit, he didn't push her away either. She composed herself as quickly as she could and released the death grip on his shirt.

"Dan Russell, I presume?" Klaus asked tightly.

Josie just nodded, wiping her tears away.

"Why did he take you? He didn't…"

Josie shook her head. "He didn't know what I was. He wanted to give his pack time to get away. He texted them before you came. I would assume they're leaving as we speak."

Klaus looked furious, but didn't say a word as he stepped back into the bar. A few seconds later, Josie and Stefan could hear the unmistakable sounds of violence. All the bar's patrons were screaming, some came flying out the back entrance, others, she assumed, met a more violent end. Josie cringed, knowing this was Klaus' way of dealing with losing the pack.

Josie and Stefan waited until the bar was quiet before they entered. Surprisingly, there were no dead bodies in the bar, but it looked like a tornado had hit it.

Klaus appeared in front of Josie and Stefan.

"How did he know?" Klaus asked, clearly trying to keep his rage in check as he spoke to them.

"What are you talking about?" asked Stefan.

"He had no reason to know we knew each other, unless you told him."

Klaus looked at Josie with suspicous eyes.

Josie rolled her eyes. "He said his beta saw us together. Why would I tell you about the vision, but then try and warn him? He threatened me with a knife. I'm fine, by the way. Thanks for asking," she said, sarcastically.

"I would have smelled blood if you weren't," said Klaus defensively.

Josie rolled her eyes. "Enhanced senses aren't a replacement for common courtesy. Weren't you born in the age of chivalry?"

"I was born a Viking, love," said Klaus. "Some of our fiercest warriors were women."

"Well, I'm not some shieldmaiden in a horned helmet," Josie countered. "I…"

She was cut off by the sounds of police sirens outside the bar.

"Yes, you're clearly a damsel," said Klaus.

Before she could protest, he picked her up and sped away, only stopping when they were several blocks away from the bar.

"Put me down," Josie said, wiggling in his arms. "You know I hate it when you do that."

"So you'd prefer I left you to deal with the police?" asked Klaus, setting her down on her feet.

Josie scoffed. "That's not what I said."

"Then you should be thanking me."

"It's your fault the police were even there! You're the one that trashed the bar, Klaus."

"We should get out of here," interrupted Stefan, who'd just appeared at Klaus' side. "The police know it wasn't a local that tore up the bar. They'll be at the motel soon."

Klaus nodded and they made their way to the motel, packed and left. As they headed to the airport, Josie thought back on Danny's words. He had said everything she'd been thinking for the past few weeks. How could she justify helping Klaus? She was willing to let others die so she could save her loved ones, save Elijah. Was Danny right, was she really no better than Klaus?

After Michigan, they went to Colorado, then Massachusetts, all based on Klaus' information. All of which turned out to be useless. Josie understood why in the show, it had taken Klaus and Stefan the whole summer just to find one werewolf.

They were in Boston when the fourth of July came and Josie insisted they attend the festival at the Harborfront. Given they were still waiting to hear back from a source, Klaus relented.

"I didn't realize you had such nationalistic tendencies," said Klaus as they wandered along the waterfront.

Josie rolled her eyes. "You don't have to be a die hard American to appreciate Independence Day. It's all about the fireworks and the barbeques!"

"When you've lived as long as I have, you'd understand the futility of celebrating the birth of a nation," said Klaus.

Josie scoffed. "You're so cynical."

She turned to Stefan, trying as ever, to engage him in conversation. "How did they celebrate the fourth of July back in your day?"

"It was different," was all Stefan said.

Josie gave him a small smile. Stefan got more and more quiet each day.

"So, why don't we get some drinks?" she suggested. "The microbrews are supposed to be good here."

The afternoon gave way to evening and Klaus surprised Josie and Stefan by hiring a boat from which to watch the fireworks.

"Best seat in the house," said Klaus, as they stepped onto the boat, which was more like a small yacht.

Josie just shook her head. Klaus truly didn't understand the meaning of limits. She was sure someone else had rented this boat out to view the fireworks.

"Something to drink?" asked one of the staff as they sat down on one of the outdoor couches.

Josie and Klaus each ordered a drink as they pulled away from the harbor.

"Where's Stefan?" she wondered, tearing her eyes away from the Boston skyline to realize the younger Salvatore wasn't with them.

"I believe he wanted something more to drink than just whiskey," said Klaus, obviously using his vampire hearing to listen to Stefan.

Josie frowned, knowing Stefan was probably below deck, snacking on one of the yacht crew. He didn't even try and hide the fact that he fed exclusively from humans now.

"So, have you ever been to Boston before?" she asked, not wanting to think about Stefan.

Klaus smiled. "I've been everywhere, Josie."

He told her of Boston in the mid-20th century. How he liked the music, hated the fashion. As they waited for the fireworks to start, they talked about some of the places he'd been, the historical events he'd seen. Josie wasn't a huge fan of history, but it was different speaking to someone who had lived it.

"Wow," she said, sitting back. "You knew Joan of Arc?

Klaus nodded. "I fought in the Hundred Years War for England."

Josie frowned. "Why?"

He shrugged. "War passes the time. Plenty of fresh blood."

Josie wrinkled her nose. "Lovely… So what was she like, Joan of Arc?"

"The epitome of self-righteousness and tenacity. Absolutely brilliant… Beautiful, in her own way," he smiled, as if lost in a memory. "I had quite the time seducing her."

Josie couldn't hold back a laugh. "Really? You and Joan of Arc?"

He frowned at her laughter. "Is it so difficult to believe? Tell me, that vision you had of Greta. Was she not enjoying herself?"

"I wasn't questioning your skills, Klaus."

She remembered vividly the way Greta had screamed Klaus' name in ecstasy. It made sense, in a way. Damon had certainly learned a lot in a century and a half. What had Klaus picked up in a millennium?

"I should hope not," he smirked.

Josie rolled her eyes. "I just mean that Joan of Arc was supposed to be pious and devout. She's a saint! I didn't think she slept with anyone."

Klaus grinned wolfishly. "I'm not just anyone, Josie."

Josie shook her head and laughed. "Touché. So… who else? Did you know Elvis?"

The fireworks soon started and Stefan rejoined them on the deck. Josie was glad to see he had no blood on his clothes, so she had hope his dinner had escaped with their life.

After Boston, was Oklahoma, then Maine. This continued for several weeks. Klaus would get a tip from his vast network of people and they would spend days tracking down hints of a werewolf only to come up empty-handed. Or Josie would get a vision and the pack would usually have moved on once they arrived. It soon became clear that many werewolves had been warned Klaus was hunting them and why, most likely because Josie had warned Mason's pack at the beginning of the summer and word had spread.

Their werewolf hunting was abruptly interrupted by a particularly disturbing vision Josie had near the beginning of August. Josie, Klaus and Stefan were sitting in a restaurant in Iowa when she felt the telltale pull of a vision.

She saw the Martins forming an alliance with a witch coven, with the goal of killing Klaus. In her mind's eye, she saw him being subdued and killed. The scene changed and she watched in horror as the Salvatores, Caroline, Katherine, Anna and Pearl all died as well.

When she came reeling back to reality, she was in Klaus' arms twisting and screaming 'No!' She must have been making a scene because they were no longer in the restaurant, but in the parking lot. Josie could see Stefan through the window of the restaurant, making excuses to the staff.

"It's alright," Klaus said as she took deep breaths. He released her and looked into her eyes. "What did you see?"

Josie put her hand to her head. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a vision that intense.

"There's this coven, the Morai, that wants to kill you, now that you've broken the curse," said Josie after a minute. "They want to stop you from creating hybrids."

"The Morai?" Klaus repeated. "I haven't heard that name in years. I thought they died out in the 16th century?"

Josie shook her head. "Nope."

Klaus frowned. "Who told the Morai about my breaking the curse? That I want to create my own bloodline?"

Josie sighed. "The Martins."

"Jonas," growled Klaus. "He wants revenge for his daughter."

Josie shook her head. "It's Greta who wants revenge."

"Greta?"

Josie nodded. "She's gone all 'hell hath no fury' and now she wants you dead." She paused. "You know she loved you."

"I know," said Klaus with a solemn expression.

"And you just used her to get what you wanted," said Josie, shaking her head.

"I did no such thing," Klaus said, his voice rising a bit in anger. "I was honest with her from the beginning. Do you really think that low of me?"

Josie looked into his eyes. Funnily enough, she believed him.

"No, I don't," she said, honestly. "But either way, she's out for revenge and she's convinced her family and the coven that you're too dangerous to be left alive."

"And how is it they plan to kill me?" he asked, eyebrows raised. "Don't tell me... Jonas and the power of a hundred dead witches."

Josie bit her lip. "Sort of."

"Well don't hold us in suspense, love."

"Greta convinced Jonas that because she spent so much time with you, she's the best person to kill you. They did a spell to transfer the power to her."

Klaus shook his head, chuckling. "Greta always was a determined little witch." He paused. "Channeling that much power will kill her, if I recall."

Josie bit her lip. "They also have a dagger."

Klaus smirked. "You know the daggers don't work on me."

"This one does. It's not silver, it's gold. Your werewolf side won't protect you."

"A gold dagger…" said Klaus, jaw clenched in anger. "Clever."

Josie gulped. It may have been something she mentioned to Jonas and Luka when they were plotting against Klaus. She wasn't going to tell Klaus that though.

Stefan came outside then and Josie filled him in on what she saw.

"So what's the plan?" asked Stefan.

"We kill them, of course," answered Klaus.

Josie bit her lip, but didn't argue. Klaus couldn't die because of the bloodline issue, so if someone wanted him dead they needed to be stopped. She told herself that her feelings had nothing to do with the fact that Greta was the reason Elijah was lying in a coffin right now instead of happily reunited with his family.

Perhaps the Morai could be reasoned with. Couldn't they see that Greta was just seeking revenge for Klaus' rejection? Maybe this could end without more bloodshed. She had to hope for it, at least. She didn't want to think how many more dead people this would mean if not.

"How do we do that?" asked Josie. "They're planning to come at the next full moon and kill you then."

"The full moon is still two weeks away," said Klaus. "We should get to them first, so we have the element of surprise."

Josie nodded.

"Well?" asked Klaus. "Where do the Morai call home these days?"

Josie tilted her head and smiled. "How's your Italian?


	33. The Summer (Part Four)

After Josie's vision of the Martins' alliance with the Morai coven, Klaus, Stefan and Josie spent a week in New York City, planning for the trip to Italy. Klaus wanted to make sure he had some assets in Sardinia before they went there. Josie had no idea where he got these people, but by the time the week was up, he had a number of vampires and humans on the Italian island. Clearly, Klaus took death threats seriously.

Meanwhile, Josie enjoyed New York City. Stefan kept to his room most of the time, but Klaus compelled a few bodyguards for her to explore the city while he was busy with his scheming. Best of all, no one died or was hurt as his werewolf-hunting activities were paused for the moment.

The only strange thing that happened in New York was Josie's dreams. The dark-haired woman in the suit had featured in her dreams for a while now, but the message had been pretty consistent: you must save 'him' and 'he's' not ready. Josie had no idea who 'he' was, but it was clearly someone important to the woman. Now, however, the woman in the suit started saying something else: 'soon'.

Ominous dreams aside, Josie was sad when Klaus announced they were leaving for Italy the next day. She had enjoyed her time in the Big Apple.

As their plane left New York, Josie was nervous. What would they find in Italy? Despite her sense of foreboding, she was a little excited too. Besides a weekend trip to Niagara Falls a few years ago, she had never been out of the country.

They landed on the island mid-morning local time and were greeted by a group of Klaus' humans at the bustling airport. Klaus had decided to fly commercial to be less conspicuous. However, he was extremely annoyed when they set off for the beachside house he'd rented, saying it was clear they were being followed.

Josie was impressed by the house though. It was a beautiful, whitewashed building with five bedrooms, a private pool and a gorgeous marble foyer. Not to mention the beach was just on the other side of the pool area.

Josie didn't waste any time once they arrived. She went up to her room, took a quick shower and changed into her swimsuit. She grabbed a towel and a book before heading down to the beach.

It wasn't long before someone was sent after her of course. His name was Matteo and he was a local who spoke some English, so he and Josie talked about Sardinia for a while. Matteo was just telling her about the local nightlife when Klaus came and dismissed him.

"Must you flirt with the help?" asked Klaus, raising an eyebrow at Josie.

"Is that not what they're here for?" asked Josie sarcastically.

"Don't want to distract them from their duties, love. Though if you insist on wearing that, I daresay they'll be distracted regardless."

He eyed her swimsuit-clad figure appreciatively. Josie rolled her eyes even if she was slightly flattered.

"Did you come here to gawk or did something happen?" she asked, hands on her hips.

Klaus' face turned serious. "The Morai know we're here. We've been invited to dinner to discuss a truce."

Josie gathered up her things and started walking with Klaus back to the house.

"A truce?" she repeated. "You think maybe they're willing to give up on killing you since we tracked them here?"

Maybe she had been right. Maybe they could end this peacefully.

Klaus shook his head. "I doubt it. It's most likely a trick. Perhaps a stall."

Josie was confused. "So are we not going to dinner then?"

"Of course we're going. I do love a good dinner party."

Josie rolled her eyes, but went to her room and got ready for dinner. Thankfully, it was at a restaurant in the local town. A number of Klaus' people sat scattered among the tables when Klaus, Stefan and Josie arrived. Josie suspected the same of the coven.

They didn't have to wait long for the Morai representatives to arrive. They were joined soon by Jonas and the head of the coven, Marta. After introductions and ordering dinner, Marta outlined the coven's proposal.

"You and your people will leave Sardinia and never step foot on our shores again, Klaus," said Marta. "In exchange, the Morai will give your loyal witch back, along with the power she is channeling."

"You're offering me Greta?" Klaus asked, eyebrow raised at Jonas.

Jonas sighed. "She wishes to return to you. I can't find it in my heart to deny my daughter. However, this time she is not a prisoner."

Klaus tilted his head and pretended to be thinking about it.

"And what of the dagger?" he asked.

If Marta was surprised by his knowledge, she didn't show it. Josie rolled her eyes. She'd hate to be playing poker with these people.

"The dagger's not part of the deal," Marta answered.

"See that creates a problem for me," said Klaus, taking a sip of his wine. "I've just gone through all the trouble of becoming unkillable by breaking my curse and I can't very well have something lying about that can prove me wrong, now can I?"

"I assure you, we will keep the dagger safe and won't share it with anyone."

"It's funny how these types of objects just pop-up where you least expect them." Klaus narrowed his eyes. "Give me the dagger or there's no deal."

"Fine," said Marta. "You can have the dagger... But in return we want your Oracle."

Josie's eyes widened.

"Absolutely not," said Klaus. "My Oracle is the reason I know about your dagger. She led me to you."

"It's Josie!" exclaimed Josie, unable to keep quiet any longer. "My name is Josie. And I'm not something you can just trade like a used car."

Klaus shrugged and smirked as if to say, 'what she said'.

Marta and Jonas stood up. Stefan and Klaus jumped to their feet as well. Josie held her breath, wondering if there was going to be some type of fight.

"That is our offer. You have until noon tomorrow to decide," said Marta, before sweeping from the table with Jonas.

"And what happens after that?" called Klaus at their retreating backs.

Marta and Jonas turned. All of a sudden, a number of other people got up from the tables and held their hands out. The air swirled around them and all of Klaus' vampires that were sitting among the crowd, as well as Stefan, started groaning and holding their heads.

Everyone else started screaming, including the wait staff, and ran out of the restaurant in a panic.

"Stop it!" cried Josie, trying to keep Stefan from collapsing to the floor.

"Then we use the dagger," Marta said, answering Klaus' question. "And we take the girl."

Stefan and the rest of the vampires continued to groan in pain. The lights flickered and burst, covering the restaurant in relative darkness.

"No tricks, Klaus," said Jonas. "Not this time."

With that, Marta, Jonas and the rest of their witches released the vampires and exited the restaurant.

"Are you okay, Stefan?" asked Josie, helping him up to a standing position.

Stefan nodded, before turning to Klaus. "What's the plan, boss?"

Klaus growled. "Now, we hunt some witches."

Klaus instructed Stefan to take Josie back to the beachside house. Klaus had additional people follow Marta and Jonas from the restaurant and he was planning to attack the coven that same night.

Josie and Stefan sat in the living room of the house, nervously waiting for news.

"Should we have heard something by now?" asked Josie, peering at the front door.

"The roads can be dangerous at night on the island," said Stefan. "Depending on where the coven is, it might take a while."

Josie nodded and they fell back into uncomfortable silence. They hadn't been together without a buffer for a number of weeks. Stefan would probably be up in his room if Klaus hadn't specifically told him not to let Josie out of his sight.

"Why did you tell him?" asked Stefan.

"What do you mean?"

"If their plan succeeded, Klaus would be dead and we would be free," said Stefan.

Josie sighed. She wondered when Stefan would ask her this.

"You died too in my vision," answered Josie, though she didn't explain how. "Plus, Klaus has this uncanny ability to stay alive no matter how many times someone tries to kill him. What would he do if he found out I lied? And what about Elijah? I can't give up on him, Stefan."

Stefan just looked down, clearly not happy with her answer. She wondered what Stefan would say if he knew she'd been carrying a weapon in her purse all summer that could kill Klaus. Damn bloodline issue.

"What did you think of their offer?" asked Josie after a few more minutes.

Ever since they'd gotten back to the house, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about Marta's offer. What would have happened if Klaus said yes?

"I think you'd be safer with the Morai than Klaus," said Stefan.

Josie nodded, knowing it was probably true.

Stefan sighed. "You should be careful of him."

Josie chuckled at that. "Yeah, I think your advice is a few months too late."

"That's not what I mean, Josie," he said, seriously. "Sometimes, the way he looks at you…"

Stefan didn't get to finish his sentence because the room was suddenly surrounded by flames. Before Josie could register what was happening, Stefan was on his knees, holding his head.

"Stefan!" screamed Josie.

She scrambled for her phone, but before she got to it, a pair of arms grabbed her from behind. She heard a sickening crunch and looked over at Stefan, his neck clearly snapped. A hand clamped over her mouth to muffle her scream as she was dragged toward the front door. She felt a sharp pain on the back of her head and then, darkness.

When she came to, she was lying on the ground, with her hands tied together. Her head was throbbing where she'd been hit.

The room was bare. Just four walls, a window and a door. The sky outside the window was still dark, so she didn't think much time had passed. Josie tried to open the door, but it was locked tight.

After a few minutes, the door flew open and Greta came in and pushed her to the ground.

"Hello, Oracle," said Greta.

"It's Josie," she said tightly. "You tricked Klaus. You wanted Klaus to follow Marta and Jonas from the restaurant."

Greta smiled. "I was with him for over two years. I know how he thinks."

"Where am I?"

"One of the Morai's safehouses. I suggest you get comfortable. We weren't followed and this house is protected by magic. We're safe from locator spells here."

"What do you want from me?" asked Josie. "I thought you wanted to kill Klaus."

Greta smiled slowly. "We'll draw him to a location of our choosing when the time is right."

"Using me as bait, no doubt," said Josie, grumpily.

Greta's snarky grin fell when a loud bang resounded in the house. She left the room quickly, closing and locking it behind her.

"Help!" yelled Josie, scrambling to her feet and banging on the door. "Help!"

Only a few seconds later, she heard the lock click. The door flew open and Josie saw perhaps the last person she ever thought she'd see: the dark-haired woman from her dreams. The woman wasn't wearing a suit, but there was no mistaking her. She was the woman Josie had been dreaming about for months now.

"You," exclaimed Josie, in shock. "You're real."

The woman looked surprised. "You recognize me?"

Josie nodded. "Who are you?"

"You need to get out of here," said the woman, ignoring Josie's question. "Klaus is here."

"Who are you?" repeated Josie. "Why have I been dreaming about you ever since…" she trailed off.

"No time," said the woman, freeing Josie's hands from their restraints. "If Greta can't exact her revenge on Klaus, she'll take you instead. You have to get to Klaus."

"You want me to go back to Klaus?" asked Josie, confused.

The woman just nodded. "Down this corridor and to the right. There's a side entrance. Follow the bushes and it'll lead you back to the front of the house. You'll be safe there until Klaus and his vampires are finished."

The woman went out the door, but Josie, not deterred, followed the woman instead of her directions to the side entrance. She still couldn't believe it. Her dream visitor was real!

"Wait!" Josie called. "Wait, who are you?"

She turned a corner and instead of finding the dark-haired woman, she ran into Greta and another witch. Greta pointed a very large knife at Josie's throat.

"How'd you get out of your cage?" Greta frowned. "Bind her hands again," she instructed the other witch. "We may still be able to use her against Klaus. How the hell did he find us?"

Josie sighed as her hands were once again bound together. She was seriously tired of always being the one who was kidnapped. Why couldn't she have some other type of superpower besides dumb visions?

"Go help the others," said Greta to the other witch.

Greta grabbed Josie and dragged her, making sure to keep the knife she had close to Josie's throat.

"Greta, love," came a voice from behind them.

Greta turned herself and Josie to face Klaus.

"Be a good girl and let her go," said Klaus, eyes roaming over Josie, checking for injuries.

"Come any closer and she'll be dead before she hits the ground," threatened Greta, pressing the knife closer to Josie's throat. "You know the type of power I'm channeling."

Klaus' eyes narrowed, but he didn't come any closer.

"If it's revenge you want, I'm right here," he said. "Leave her out of it."

Greta's eyes watered a little. "I never wanted revenge, Klaus. I just… I just wanted you." She looked at him with sadness. "I was loyal to you and you just cast me aside. For her," she finished bitterly.

Klaus' gaze softened. "Your father wouldn't have stopped looking for you. I understand the importance of family."

Greta's hand fell away from Josie's throat. "My father understands now. He promised not to keep us apart."

Klaus smiled. "Did he now?" He held out his hand. "Let's stop this foolish fighting, shall we, my darling?"

Greta released her grip on Josie and took a step towards Klaus. Before Josie knew what was happening, she heard a loud crack and Greta was falling to the ground, dead.

Josie gasped as she looked down at the dead witch. "What.. Why?"

Klaus ripped through her restraints, freeing her.

"She would have killed you. Perhaps me as well. Always was a jealous little thing." He looked Josie up and down. "Are you alright?"

"I'll live," she said, rubbing her wrists and trying not to look down at Greta. "My head… They knocked me out on the way here."

There was a loud crash just down the corridor.

"Heal me later," said Josie.

Klaus nodded and took her arm, leading her back down the corridor. Soon they came upon a large living room. There were a few bodies lying around. Josie looked, but couldn't see the woman from her dreams. Movement out of the corner of her eye distracted her and she felt Klaus release her and appear in front of her a second later with Luka Martin in his grip.

"Your plot has failed, your sister is dead," growled Klaus at Luka. "Where is the dagger?"

Luka looked terrified. "I… I…"

"Let him go," shouted Jonas, who had just appeared on the other side of the room.

"Fetch me the dagger and I'll consider it," said Klaus, gripping Luka tightly.

"It's right here," said Jonas in a shaky voice. He held up the dagger. "Let Luka go."

Klaus put on his hybrid face and bit into Luka's neck for a second. "All this fighting has made me awfully hungry."

"Here!" exclaimed Jonas, tossing Klaus the dagger.

Klaus caught it and put it in his pocket. "Thank you so much for your cooperation."

Then he snapped Luka's neck. Josie screamed as Stefan appeared behind Jonas and he fed off him until Jonas too dropped to the ground, dead.

"Why did you do that?" asked Josie. "He gave you the dagger."

"He would have done the same to me the minute my back was turned," said Klaus, wiping his mouth off. "I killed his daughter."

Josie frowned. "To save my life."

"You think that matters to him?" growled Klaus. "He didn't hesitate for a second when he sacrificed your freedom in exchange for his daughter's. I made the mistake once of showing that family mercy. It nearly got me killed. I never make the same mistake twice, Josie. It's why I'm still alive."

He looked at Stefan and the other vampires who had come with him.

"Sweep the rest of the house," Klaus told them. "Leave none alive."

He started to lead Josie out of the house, but she grabbed his arm, suddenly remembering the woman from her dreams.

"No, wait. Where is she?"

Josie tried to turn back into the house, but found her way blocked by Klaus.

"Where is who?" he asked.

"There was a woman. Dark hair, mid-forties maybe. She had a red shirt on with a white skirt. She's the one who helped me escape the room I was in."

"She wasn't among the dead," said Klaus. "A small group fled soon after we entered. Perhaps she was one of them."

Then something else occurred to Josie.

"How did you find me?" she asked.

"Locator spell of course."

Josie frowned, remembering what Greta had said about this house being immune to locator spells. Josie wondered if that was the mystery woman's doing. Was she a witch? Who was she? Why had she wanted Josie to escape with Klaus?

A million questions swirled in her mind as they drove back to the beachside house and she replayed every second of the evening.

She turned to Klaus, breaking the silence. "Thank you for coming to get me."

"Your safety is my responsibility."

Josie shook her head. "I mean, you came to get me before the dagger. So thank you."

Klaus looked slightly surprised, as if he didn't realize that himself until just now. He didn't say anything though, just continued to look at the road and they lapsed into silence once again.

As Josie watched the moonlit scenery go by, she thought about the mystery woman, her visions, her real home. She tried desperately not to think about the witch house, the Martins', all the people who'd died just so Klaus, and his bloodline by extension, could stay alive. She was slightly mollified by the fact that the witches, in this case, had picked the fight.

They all slept late the next morning and when Josie came downstairs for a late breakfast, Klaus announced they were leaving that afternoon.

"Can't we stay for one more day?" asked Josie as she sipped her coffee. "I wanted to go into town and do some shopping while we were here. Matteo told me about a couple of local artisans I wanted to visit."

"You can go before the plane leaves," said Klaus.

"There's also this really cool club he told me about," added Josie. "It has an outdoor dance floor connected to a waterfall. After everything that happened last night, don't you want to let off a little steam? I'm sure Stefan would."

Josie knew that Klaus might go for it if he thought Stefan would have some fun. Encourage him to channel his boozy, 1920s self. She wasn't above a little manipulation to get what she wanted. And what she wanted was to stay in Italy for another day and look for the mystery woman. It shouldn't be too hard to give whatever bodyguards Klaus gave her the slip while she looked around.

Klaus tilted his head in acquiescence. "Alright."

She went to her room and got ready before coming downstairs to collect whoever Klaus had assigned as her protection. She had to work hard to contain her disappointment when she realized that Klaus intended to accompany her himself.

"Can't be too careful," he explained as they climbed into one of the rental cars. "There are still a few of the coven wandering about."

I know, she thought. I was hoping to run into one of them. She didn't dare try and give Klaus himself the slip though, so she tried to enjoy shopping in the town, even if that hadn't been her intention.

They had been there for a few hours when Josie had a vision. It was of Tyler and Caroline having sweaty, uninhibited sex. Josie desperately wished she could look away as she watched her ex-boyfriend (who she maybe still loved) and the gorgeous blonde screw on Tyler's bed.

She couldn't believe it. They'd broken up more than two months ago, but it still felt like her heart was breaking. In her mind, Tyler and her were going to have another shot when she got back to Mystic Falls. A huge part of the reason she was helping Klaus was because she didn't want Klaus to push Tyler for info on Mason's pack whereabouts.

When she came back to reality, it was with tear-filled eyes.

"What was it?" asked Klaus.

Josie shook her head. "Doesn't matter," she said, taking deep breaths.

"Josie…"

"It was Tyler. My-ex," she said. "He's… moved on, apparently."

Klaus was silent for a minute. "I stand by what I said before. He's not good enough for you."

Josie smiled a little. Even if Klaus didn't mean to be comforting, his words were.

"I'm bored with shopping," she said, wiping her eyes. "Let's go back."

That night Stefan, Klaus and Josie went to the club Matteo recommended. As ever, Klaus compelled them a table-service VIP booth for the night. Determined not to think of Tyler, Josie didn't waste any time ordering a round of shots. Then another and then another. Klaus and Stefan had made it clear that they didn't dance, but not deterred, Josie headed to the dance floor herself. With the amount of alcohol she'd had, she could give a flying fuck about dancing by herself.

She was at the bar ordering another drink when she saw a familiar face.

"Matteo!" she exclaimed.

"I see you're having a good time," laughed Matteo.

"This place is great!"

Matteo took her hand and pulled her close. "Hmm.. I'm glad you came. Sei bellissima."

Josie looked at him quizically.

"You're beautiful, Josie," he whispered seductively in her ear.

She flushed under his compliment. He was pretty hot himself. He bought her another drink and soon they were kissing. It was a testament to how drunk she was that she kissed him back, a total stranger. Take that, Tyler, she thought. His hands started roaming all over her when suddenly Matteo was pulled away by Klaus.

"Leave," Klaus compelled.

"What the fuck?" Josie asked, trying to tug her arm away from the hybrid as he dragged her off the dance floor and back to the table.

"What is your problem, Klaus?" asked Josie. "He wasn't going to kidnap me or anything."

"That moron was sober and you're drunk," said Klaus. "And he knew it."

Josie scoffed. "Why the fuck do you care?" she asked, the alcohol making her more combative than usual.

Klaus didn't answer.

Josie tilted her head at him, willing the world to come into focus. It was spinning a bit. Okay, a lot.

With the alcohol coursing through her system, she could admit that Klaus really was hot when you forgot that he was a murderous vampire. And considering how much she'd had to drink, she'd forgotten a lot of things.

"Aww… do you care if I'm taken advantage of," she murmured, scooting closer to Klaus.

They were alone at the table. Stefan must be at the bar or feeding.

"Your safety is my responsibility," Klaus said, repeating what he'd said the day before.

"Is that all you're thinking about right now?" she asked, her voice dropping a bit lower. "My… safety?"

She put her hand on his thigh. He looked down, but didn't remove her hand.

"Josie…" he said in a warning tone.

"What?" she giggled, moving her hand up, only to be caught by his.

"You're drunk and you're upset about Tyler," he said, moving her hand back into her own lap.

"So, you're an evil vampire," laughed Josie. "Be evil."

Klaus fixed her with an intense stare. "You've no idea how tempted I am, my dear."

Ugh, what was his problem? It was his fault Tyler was fucking Caroline. It was his fault all those witches were dead and Elijah was in a box. The least he could fucking do was make her forget for a while.

"You kill people all the time," argued Josie, now annoyed. "The one time I actually want you to be evil and the Big, Bad Wolf is nowhere to be found?"

"You haven't seen the wolf in a while, love," he said, seriously. "I don't think you'd like it if I let him out to claim you."

Josie scoffed. What a fucking prude. "Why not?"

"Trust me." He looked up. "Ah, Stefan, join us! I see you've been partaking of the local delicacies."

Stefan had blood dripping down his chin. Josie passed him a napkin before stealing a sip of his drink.

"I think you've had enough," said Klaus, taking Stefan's drink from her hand.

Josie narrowed her eyes, though maybe he had a point. Had she seriously just hit on Klaus? Would it be Stefan next? What the fuck was wrong with her?

Of course, she knew. She knew exactly what was wrong. Tyler was fucking Caroline, she was helping Klaus find werewolves, she was far from home and Elijah was still daggered. She hadn't even seen the coffins since that day in Mystic Falls, let alone get close enough to undagger him.

It was early the next morning when they left the club, even later when Stefan woke her up by knocking on her door. Thankfully, Klaus didn't say anything about their awkward encounter the night before. She was mortified. She had just gotten to the point where she didn't loathe and resent Klaus all the time. They weren't even friends.

Flashbacks to her sordid affair with Damon came to mind. Damon had been her escape because Damon was hot and well, he was just… there. It was Klaus' fault really, if he'd just let Matteo kiss her for a bit…

What was even more puzzling was why hadn't Klaus taken her up on her offer? She was beyond grateful he hadn't, but she knew Klaus was attracted to her. So why not take advantage? She decided not to think too much about it and block the entire night out of her mind.

It was only a few hours later they were on their way to the airport, headed to Florida. When Klaus mentioned they were looking into the whereabouts of Ray Sutton, Josie realized if things played out the way here that they did in the show, Klaus was about to fail at making his first hybrid.

Josie was sitting on the airplane in the private jet hangar, looking out the window when she saw her. The dark-haired woman from her dreams was standing by a side entrance. The woman held up a glass in her hand as if to toast Josie. When Josie looked down at her own drink, words had appeared on her napkin as if by magic. When Josie looked out the window again, the woman was gone.

She got up and moved towards the door, but was told by the flight attendant that the door was closed and they'd be taking off in a minute. Morosely, Josie went back to her seat and looked at the note.

'Stay with Klaus, Josie Anderson,' it said.

Josie was shocked. She hadn't thought about her name, her real name, in a while. But this woman knew it. Knew she was from another world, that she wasn't really Josie Gilbert. Had she brought Josie here?

Then there was the other part of the message 'Stay with Klaus'. Why would someone want her to stay with Klaus? An evil, dangerous vampire? Josie sighed. Whoever this woman was, it didn't seem like she had Josie's best interests at heart.

 **A/N: Poor Josie's having a rough time of it and she was bound to act out sooner or later.**

 **Next chapter we re-join canon(ish) with Season 3. I hope you enjoyed these Summer chapters!**


	34. The Birthday

**The Birthday**

After Italy, they picked up Ray Sutton's trail in Florida, which eventually led them to the two women in Tennessee. Josie cringed when she saw the big white house come into view. She vividly remembered what Stefan had done to those girls and begged Klaus to spared them.

"You're nothing if not persistent" said Klaus, shaking his head as they approached the house.

"Why kill people when you can use compulsion?" Josie argued. "Killing people is so messy. And these girls, if you kill them, people in Mystic Falls will find out."

Klaus sighed. "I don't think I've ever spared so many people as I have this summer."

Josie shrugged. "You shouldn't have brought a human along on your quest."

"Shouldn't have brought this human, more like," he corrected.

Josie just rolled her eyes. "So let me go if I'm such a bother."

"Help me make my first pack of hybrids and we'll discuss it."

Josie was surprised. It was the first time Klaus had said anything about her leaving.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"Later," he answered. "Both of you keep quiet while I obtain an invitation."

Stefan and Josie watched while Klaus donned an American accent and compelled one of the girls to invite him and Stefan in. After Klaus had obtained information on Ray's whereabouts, a bar called 'Southern Comfort', he took away their memories of the encounter.

The next day they arrived at the bar and Klaus had Stefan compel every single person in the bar to not contact anyone outside the bar and to not react to anything unusual that they saw. Josie was sitting at the bar, eating lunch when Ray Sutton walked in.

Josie had been waiting for a vision ever since the night before, so she could tell Klaus that Ray and his pack would die if he tried to turn them. She had been holding on to the knowledge all summer, hoping to get access to Elijah's coffin to undagger him, as well as keep Klaus away from Mystic Falls. But now that they had found Ray, Josie knew she needed to tell Klaus before all those werewolves died.

Of course Ray refused to tell Klaus where his pack was at first, even though Josie knew he would cave eventually.

"Tell you what Ray," said Stefan, getting out a small pouch from his pocket. "We're going to play a little drinking game. Something I like to call truth or wolfsbane."

Josie bit her lip, knowing they were about to interrogate Ray. Her eyes met Klaus' and he got up and came over to where she was sitting.

"There's probably an office in the back, love," he said.

Josie nodded. Klaus hadn't made her watch any interrogations or feeding since her birthday. She knew it was probably just because it made it easier for her to cooperate, but she appreciated it nonetheless.

She got up and went to the back office, pulling out her phone. It was Elena's birthday after all and she wanted to call her.

Josie had only called home one other time besides her first phone call with Elena. Even though she'd had the phone for most of the summer, every time she picked up the phone to call home, she stopped, wondering what she would say? She didn't want to say what she'd been doing and while she was curious what was going on in Mystic Falls (beyond the occasional vision), she knew it would just make her more homesick.

Elena answered and they had a brief phone call where Elena asked a bunch of questions that Josie wouldn't answer. Josie sighed, wondering when this horrible road trip would end.

She was playing around on her phone when there was a knock on the window of the office. To her shock, Damon and Lexi stood in the back parking lot. Josie got up and quietly made her way out the back entrance.

Josie ran and practically jumped into Damon's arms, giving him a big hug.

"Oh my god, Damon! What are you doing here?"

"Well you know how much I like to play knight in shining armor," Damon smirked.

Josie rolled her eyes and smiled. She'd missed his easy confidence over the summer.

"Good to see you too, Lexi," said Josie. She paused. "How are you out in the sun?"

Lexi held up her hand to reveal a daylight ring. "Bonnie hooked me up."

"That's awesome!" grinned Josie, then she remembered herself. "What are you guys doing here? You have to leave, if Klaus finds out you're here…"

"We found these two girls that knew a guy that was killed in Florida," explained Damon. "They told us their werewolf friend likes to hang out here."

Josie sighed. Damn butterfly effect.

"We're not leaving without you and Stefan," said Lexi.

Josie shook her head. "I told Elena the last time I called. We don't need to be rescued."

"He kidnapped you. Of course you need to be rescued," said Damon, frowning.

"And then what?" asked Josie. "Run, forever? Like Katherine? And don't forget what happened to Katherine's family."

"So you're just gonna be Klaus' prisoner for the rest of your life?" countered Damon. "No, we're getting you out of here now."

Josie scoffed. "Why are those the only two options?"

She hadn't exactly figured out how she was going to safely escape Klaus' clutches, but she would figure it out. Everyone has a price. If nothing else, once she freed Elijah, hopefully he could help.

"We have a plan," said Damon.

Josie frowned. "What plan?"

"There's no time," said Damon. "We have to go."

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what the plan is. If it's running or hiding, I'm not going."

Damon hesitated. "It's just temporary until we figure out a way to stop Klaus."

"No, Damon. I'm not risking everyone back in Mystic Falls."

Damon looked angry, but didn't push it. Probably because he knew if he tried to force her, one scream and Klaus would come.

"Are you okay at least?" asked Lexi, sighing. "Has he hurt you or Stefan at all?"

Josie shook her head. Despite his threats the day they left Mystic Falls, Klaus hadn't laid a finger on her all summer.

"I'm fine, please just go," said Josie.

"You ought to listen to her," came a voice from the bar's back entrance.

Lexi, Josie and Damon whipped around to see Klaus leaning against the doorway.

Josie cringed as Klaus blurred forward and snapped Damon's neck. Then he grabbed Lexi by her neck and growled.

"You're a new face. Who are you?"

"An old friend of Stefan's," Lexi answered.

Klaus paused. "Well, any friend of Stefan's… Why don't you come in and join us for a drink?"

Lexi hesitated, looking down at Damon.

"Oh, don't worry about him," said Klaus, smiling. "I'll take care of him. You run along inside- Stefan's there. I need to speak to Josie."

Josie frowned as Lexi went inside the bar.

"I recall you telling me that if I spared those two girls we'd avoid these kind of entanglements," said Klaus.

"They found us because you killed that guy down in Florida. My visions aren't an exact science," she said, shrugging. "I told you killing is messy."

Klaus just looked at her stonily.

"Speaking of… please don't kill Damon."

"I can't have him following us, love."

"I'll take him back to Mystic Falls and make sure he stays there," said Stefan, who had just joined them.

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "Why should I let you leave?"

"You know I'll come back," said Stefan. "You saved my brother's life. I'm in your service."

"Oh, you make it all sound so tedious and indentured," said Klaus, looking disappointed. "I know you were having at least a bit of fun with our friend Ray."

"I'll be back soon," was all Stefan said.

Klaus nodded. "Alright. Josie and I will have a drink with this old friend of yours while you're gone then."

Stefan stiffened. He clearly thought he was going to be taking Lexi back to Mystic Falls as well.

"I'd like to get to know this old friend," said Klaus, smiling. "Don't be too long, Stefan."

Then Klaus led Josie back inside the bar. Josie tried not to look at poor Ray as she sat down at a table with Klaus and Lexi.

"So… old friend of Stefan's," said Klaus. "What would you like to drink?"

"I'm fine, thanks," said Lexi, tightly.

"Now's not a good time to forget your manners, love."

"What do you want from me?" challenged Lexi. "Am I collateral so that Stefan returns?"

Klaus grinned and tilted his head. "I like you. I would have thought friends of sober Stefan would be so boring." He paused. "Don't tell me, are you… Lexi?"

He could tell from Lexi's expression that he'd guessed correctly.

"The one that always brings him back from the brink," Klaus continued. "Cages the ripper?"

Lexi smiled snarkily. "That's me. So no matter what you do to him or how far you push him, just know, I can always bring him back."

Josie's eyes widened. Lexi didn't know Stefan and Klaus' shared history. How Klaus' whole goal of the summer was to bring out no-humanity, ripper Stefan.

"And suppose he doesn't want your help?" asked Klaus, eyebrow raised.

"He always says that," said Lexi, dismissively. "And he's always grateful for it in the end."

Josie decided to step in at that point.

"She's Stefan's best friend, Klaus," said Josie, putting a hand on his arm. "They've known each other for nearly 150 years. He'll never forgive you if you kill her."

Klaus narrowed his eyes at her, but the words seemed to have an effect. He growled, grabbed Lexi's arm and sniffed her. Josie bit her lip, hoping against hope that Lexi was on vervain. Alas, Klaus smiled an instant later and it was clear that Lexi was definitely not on vervain.

"Did it ever occur to you that perhaps it's your methods that cause him to repeatedly fall off the wagon?" asked Klaus.

From the look on Lexi's face, Josie could tell Klaus had hit a nerve.

Klaus smiled. Josie knew that smile. It was probably scarier than when Klaus was angry. A thinking, calculating Klaus was infinitely more dangerous than one that was enraged.

"Perhaps a taste of that which you despise so much?" mused Klaus. "After all, how can you hope to help an addict if you've never known the hardships they face?"

He grabbed Lexi's face so he was staring in her eyes.

"I want you to turn off your humanity," he compelled.

"Klaus, no," said Josie, watching Lexi with terrified eyes.

Lexi just had a blank look for the longest time.

"Lexi?" said Josie. "Are you…"

Josie didn't get to finish because Lexi lunged for her neck. Thankfully, Klaus was a lot older and faster. He grabbed Lexi before she could bite Josie and compelled her again.

"You're not to harm Josie," compelled Klaus. He smiled. "Everyone else here is fair game though."

Lexi's eyes slid to the bleeding werewolf that was tied to the wall. Klaus let her feed off Ray for a few seconds before pulling her back.

"I'm afraid I need this one alive for the time being," said Klaus, looking at Ray. "In fact, since Stefan's escorting Damon back to Mystic Falls, how would you like to fill in?"

Lexi smiled, blood still dripping down her chin. "What did you have in mind?"

Klaus tossed Lexi the bag of wolfsbane and let her know what information he wanted out of Ray.

Josie frowned and got up, not wanting to watch Lexi torture Ray. She made her way back toward the office, but stopped when Klaus blocked her way.

Josie crossed her arms. "What?"

"She lives," said Klaus. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"How is this any better?"

"I know the type," said Klaus, dismissively. "She'll have her humanity back on within the month. This way, she doesn't interfere with my plans and she's alive at the end of it."

Josie frowned, realizing this was Klaus' version of mercy. He sincerely thought he'd been charitable with how he'd handled Lexi. Considering the alternative, maybe he had? God, her moral compass was so screwed these days. When you lived in a world of vampires, witches and werewolves, who knew what was right or wrong anymore?

"Well you'll forgive me if I don't want to see Lexi this way," she said, moving past him toward the back office. Thankfully, he let her go without another word.

Josie had fallen asleep on the couch in the back office and was awoken the next morning by Klaus.

"Josie..."

"Klaus…" she groaned. "What time is it?"

He chuckled. "Time to get up."

Josie sat up, squinting in the sun streaming through the window. Her eyes went wide when she saw that Klaus was only in his underwear.

"Uh, Klaus, you're…"

"No need to blush, love. My clothes got a bit dirty. Stefan's fetching a clean set now."

Josie forced herself to focus on his face.

"Right," she said. "I'll just give you some privacy."

She tried to get up, but got tangled in the blankets and fell. Klaus managed to catch her just before she fell to the ground, but she landed in an awkward position so she was partially on top of him.

"Oh my god," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm so clumsy in the morning."

She laughed, trying to make light of their position as she tried to untangle the blankets and get off him.

"I don't mind," he said, his voice notably dropping to a lower register.

He grabbed her by her hips and sat up so their lips were only inches apart.

"Klaus, what are you doing?" she frowned.

She tried to get up, but he held her firm.

"Isn't this what you wanted the other night?" he asked, smiling.

Josie froze. They hadn't talked about the night in Italy when she'd hit on him.

"I was drunk," she said, trying to push on his chest, but it was like her hands weren't receiving messages from her brain. "And I was upset about Tyler."

"Tyler was a fool, Josie. You are exquisite," he purred, running his hands up and down her back.

"Klaus, come on, stop."

"Is that what you really want?," he asked, whispering in her ear. "You know, in the dark recesses of your mind, you want this. You need someone dangerous to make you feel alive."

Josie shivered. She felt like she wasn't in complete control of her body. Like she was in the middle of a dream or something. Klaus turned her head towards his and started kissing her.

His lips were soft on hers as he threaded his hands into the hair at the back of her neck. She automatically started kissing him back though she wasn't sure why. When he moved his mouth to her neck to place open mouth kisses there, warning bells started to go off. It felt so good, though.

It wasn't until he pulled away to rip off her shirt that the alarms reached a deafening pitch.

"Stop, stop!" she shouted, gasping for breath as her eyes opened to see Lexi hovering over her, laughing manically.

"What the hell, Lexi?"

She sat up on the couch in the office where she'd fallen asleep, realizing that Lexi had been manipulating her dreams. No wonder she'd felt out of control.

Lexi laughed. "It's been a while since I've done that."

"Fuck you!" exclaimed Josie, angrily.

"Oh no, fuck you, love," said Lexi, impersonating Klaus.

Josie took the nearest object, a coffee mug from the desk, and chucked it in the blonde vampire's general direction. Of course, Lexi dodged it easily.

Fuck whatever person thought a 'humanity switch' was a good idea. She couldn't even really be mad at Lexi. It wasn't her fault.

"Your lover says it's time to go," laughed Lexi.

At that, Josie shot up, anger forgotten. Oh shit.

"Has he killed Ray yet?" asked Josie.

Lexi shook her head. "Not yet. Ray was still giving him directions to his pack."

Josie leapt up and ran into the bar where Klaus was feeding Ray his blood.

"Stop!" she yelled.

"What's wrong, love?" asked Klaus, looking confused.

"I had a vision," she lied. "It's not going to work. You can't turn him."

Klaus frowned. "Why not?"

Josie put on her best puzzled face. "I don't know. I just saw him and his pack and it's not going to work."

She couldn't give up Elena as the solution just yet. She still didn't have Elijah back.

"Are you sure?" asked Klaus.

Josie nodded. "Why would I lie?"

Klaus looked at her curiously. "I don't know, Josie. But after 1000 years, I'm afraid I'll need to see it for myself."

With that, he snapped Ray's neck.

Josie winced.

"We're leaving," said Klaus. "Ray's pack is a few hours away."

Josie frowned. "I just told you it wasn't going to work. Why not wait until you know for sure?"

"His pack only gathers for the full moon which is tonight," said Klaus. "I'm not missing this opportunity when it's taken us so long to find one. After all, your visions aren't an exact science."

Josie narrowed her eyes when he threw her earlier words back in her face.

"I'm afraid this is where we part ways, my dear," Klaus told Lexi. "I must admit, I had fun. Perhaps we'll meet again one day."

Looking Lexi in the eye, Klaus compelled her, "You will not reveal where we are or where we are headed."

Klaus turned toward the door. "Say good-bye, Stefan, Josie."

Stefan barely acknowledged Lexi as he walked out with Ray slung over his shoulders. Josie gave an awkward little wave, still miffed that Lexi had screwed with her head.

"Don't pout," smirked Lexi, after Stefan and Klaus had gone through the door. "Where do you think I got the idea?"

Josie blinked and Lexi was gone. What the hell did that mean?

She shook her head and followed Stefan and Klaus out the door, really not looking forward to hiking up some mountain in Tennessee in August.


	35. The Hybrid

Klaus, Josie, and Stefan stopped by the hotel they'd been staying at (Josie insisted on a shower after her night on the couch) before heading to the Smoky Mountains to find Ray's pack.

When they arrived at the entrance to the forest, Josie eyed the mountain warily. Klaus had Stefan fetch Ray's body out of the trunk and they started walking into the forest. Josie could tell Klaus was getting annoyed with how slow she was. Stefan was the one who had a dead guy draped over his shoulders, but Josie was definitely the one slowing them down.

They'd been walking for nearly half an hour when Klaus turned back to her, at least 200 feet behind them, and blurred over to her.

"Everything alright, love?" he asked in a clipped tone.

"I'm fine," Josie said, taking a sip of water. "I can walk just fine, but I'm not a vampire."

"This would be a lot faster if I carried you."

"I don't want to be carried like a child," she huffed. "How far away are we?"

"Another hour, perhaps" he said. "Of course at your rate…"

"Why don't you just walk ahead?" asked Josie, rolling her eyes. "There's only one trail. I can find my way and no one's going to take me out here."

"This is wolf country, Josie. The wolves…"

"You are such a control freak!" Josie cut in, hands on her hips.

Klaus just growled and picked her up, blurring back to Stefan.

Josie wiggled in his arms. "Let me down!"

"Only if you promise to behave," he said, not letting her down. "These woods can be dangerous."

"Werewolves don't come out until the full moon," she said. "It's daytime."

"A werewolf is still dangerous during the daylight hours. Need I remind you of the quality time you spent with Dan Russell?"

The reminder of her capture in that bar where Dan had dragged her to his RV stopped her struggling for a moment. She hated when Klaus actually had a point.

"If you two are done, I'd like to keep moving," said Stefan, adjusting Ray slightly to the left on his shoulders.

"Fine," said Josie, rolling her eyes. "I'll be careful."

Klaus looked skeptical, but put her down on her feet. She just glared at him and continued walking. He continued to go back and pick her up whenever she fell behind the two vampires.

Finally, they made it to the pack's campsite. Stefan slammed Ray's body down on the ground and Josie winced. She looked around and saw there were about 25 werewolves wandering around the campsite.

A woman ran over to Ray. "Ray, oh my god. Who are you?" she asked Stefan.

Klaus smiled. "The important question is who am I. Please forgive the intrusion. My name is Klaus."

"You're the hybrid," the woman said.

"You've heard of me?" asked Klaus. "Fantastic."

"We have." The woman looked smugly at Klaus and whistled. "We've been expecting you."

Josie's eyes widened as another group of werewolves joined the campsite, then another. This had definitely not happened in the original storyline. What the hell was going on?

"I believe you know the Silver Tail pack, whose alpha, Dan Russell, you killed. And the Black Rock pack from Death Valley, California, you killed their beta."

Klaus kept his usual cool expression as more and more werewolves kept pouring in. By the time they were done there were at least 100 werewolves in the clearing, if not more.

"Now that we're all here, I'm going to make you all a one-time offer," said Klaus, loudly. "Join me as a hybrid or die before you see the full moon tonight."

The woman just laughed. "You and what army? We have over 150 werewolves. We will bury you in a hole so deep even you can't escape."

Josie was scared. It was just Klaus and Stefan. She didn't really think they could take on 150 werewolves. At least not without Stefan and herself getting killed.

"Last chance," growled Klaus, letting his hybrid face show.

The werewolves just bared their teeth in response to Klaus.

Josie couldn't breathe. What the fuck was wrong with Klaus? Was he seriously planning to fight them? There was no way she was escaping this alive. The two vampires couldn't hope to win and protect her at the same time.

All of a sudden, a number of figures zoomed into the group of werewolves, some of which Josie recognized as the vampires that had accompanied them to Sardinia. One vampire in particular that she'd spoken to in Italy and New York appeared in front of her.

Josie didn't see much as she was shielded by her vampire bodyguard who took her several yards away from the actual fighting. What she actually saw was quite horrible. The vampires were still greatly outnumbered, but they were far superior to the werewolves, both in speed and strength. Klaus himself was just a blur, zooming around snapping necks and pulling out hearts left and right.

A group of werewolves broke away from the fighting and headed towards Josie and her bodyguard. One of the werewolves pulled a gun out of nowhere and managed to hit her bodyguard with what looked like a vervain dart. The vampire did kill a number of them, but when it became clear he was losing the fight, Josie turned and ran.

She managed to get away and hide behind a cluster of trees and brambles some distance from the campsite where the main battle was taking place. She pulled out the knife she kept in her purse and tried to calm her breathing.

"Come out, come out," called one of the werewolves.

Looking through the tree branches, she could see there were two werewolves after her.

"We know who you are," the werewolf continued. "That freak's little bitch."

Josie frowned. Ugh, rude…

"The name calling's a little low, no?" came a voice to her right.

Josie's eyes widened when she saw Mason Lockwood come striding up to the two werewolves.

"What do you want, Lockwood?"

"You don't wanna do this," said Mason. "She's human."

"She's his human," corrected the werewolf, angrily. "He just killed my wife."

Josie sighed. Even though he was trying to kill her, she felt bad for the werewolf. Still, didn't people understand what happened when they went up against Klaus?

"She's innocent," said Mason. "Be above this, man."

"Why don't you take a hike, surfer boy?

Mason shrugged. "Sorry, can't do that."

Then the werewolves attacked Mason. Two against one. Josie sent up a silent prayer and ran into the clearing with her knife at the ready. With the element of surprise, she managed to put a good gash into one guy's side that sent him howling to the ground in pain. He swiped her with his arm on the way down though and sent her careening into a nearby tree.

She cried out in pain as she hit the tree on her right side, her knife dropping to the ground. Thankfully, the guy she'd stabbed seemed down for the minute. She struggled to get up amidst the shooting pain and could only watch as Mason fought the other werewolf.

Mason was doing his best, but the other werewolf was huge. He finally got Mason in a chokehold and threw him to the ground, kicking his head viciously. Then the werewolf turned his eyes on Josie. She grabbed the knife that was lying on the ground, but still couldn't get up.

The werewolf only got a few feet before he was grabbed from behind and thrown against another tree in the clearing. Klaus looked enraged as he savagely tore the werewolf's head from his body.

Klaus moved to the werewolf's buddy next, ripping his heart out.

When he turned his eyes to Mason, Josie yelled, "Stop! He saved me! I know him."

Klaus turned and sped over to her, kneeling next to her. His eyes narrowed when he saw the bloody knife in her hand.

"Did you try to fight them?" he asked.

"They were going to kill Mason," she explained, gesturing to where Mason was gradually getting up from the ground. "What was I supposed to do? Let them?"

Klaus looked furious. "You could have been killed, Josie. This is your definition of careful?"

Josie scoffed. "I'm fine."

She winced as she tried to get to a standing position.

"All evidence to the contrary," growled Klaus. "Here." He bit into his wrist and offered it to her.

Josie bit her lip, hesitating. She had never really liked drinking blood, she was human after all. This would be the second time in the past week that she would have Klaus' blood in her system.

Klaus looked annoyed when his bite marks sealed themselves.

"Unless you'd like to be carried down the mountain?" he threatened.

Josie huffed in annoyance, knowing she couldn't walk without his blood.

"Fine."

He bit his wrist again and she took a few sips, cringing at the taste, before pushing his arm away.

Her eyes slid to the campsite they'd all come from. A few minutes ago there had been the unmistakable sounds of battle and now, there was mostly silence.

"Are they all…" she trailed off.

"Most. There are a few I'm going to try and turn." Klaus helped her get to her feet. "Speaking of. Ray should be awake soon and will need blood."

Josie nodded and handed him one of the blood bags she had in her purse. Then she went over to where Mason was standing.

"Are you okay?" she asked, hoping he wasn't too seriously injured.

"I'll live," he answered, smiling. "We heal fairly quickly."

Josie smiled and gave him a big hug. "It's so good to see you, Mason. And thank you!"

"I should be thanking you," he said, looking down at the werewolf she'd stabbed.

"Guess you still owe me one," she said, remembering how she'd saved him from Damon back in Mystic Falls.

"Don't get too attached, mate," interupted Klaus, who was still standing there, watching Josie and Mason.

He eyed Mason suspiciously.

Josie rolled her eyes. "He defended me, Klaus. Saved your precious Oracle's life. You could say thank you too."

Klaus just came up to Mason and clapped a not-very-friendly hand on his shoulder.

"Moon will be up in a few hours," Klaus said. "I expect you'll be long gone by then. Feel free to spread the word about what happens to those who oppose me."

Josie just shook her head as Klaus headed back to the campsite.

"Believe it or not, that's his way of saying thanks," she explained to Mason.

Mason shook his head. "At least you're okay. I'd hate to have to tell your brother and sister you were mauled by some vengeful werewolves. Not to mention Tyler."

Josie frowned. "I doubt he cares anymore."

Mason looked surprised. "Of course he does. He's the one that called me when he heard what the packs were planning."

"Why didn't he come himself?"

"He wanted to. Alphas wouldn't let anyone under 18 come."

Josie was surprised. After her vision of Tyler and Caroline, she was sure Tyler wouldn't really care. Tyler was a decent guy, but he wasn't exactly a defender of the innocent.

"I should go," said Mason, looking in the direction of the campsite.

Josie nodded, not really wanting him to go. She had liked Mason. Even when they were duking it out over exposing the Salvatores to the Sheriff.

"It was good to see you, Mason," she said, giving him one more hug.

"Maybe I'll see you soon," he said, pressing a piece of paper into her hand.

'We have a plan. Be careful,' was all the paper said.

She frowned and slipped the paper into her pocket. Mason squeezed her shoulder and left without another word.

By the time Josie got back to the campsite, Ray was awake and drinking blood. Klaus had already fed his blood to a few more werewolves and killed them.

"Your friend gone?" asked Klaus, looking up from where he was sitting on a rock, drinking a beer.

"Yes," she said, walking up to him. "How did you know what they were planning?"

"I'm always two steps ahead, my dear," he smirked.

"Okay, why the hell didn't you tell us?" asked Josie, crossing her arms. "I was terrified. I could have been killed if it weren't for Mason. Or worse."

Klaus' face darkened at that. "The vampire who was meant to defend you is lucky he's already dead."

Josie sighed and sat down on the ground, facing out into the woods, away from the campsite. Klaus' vampires were busy moving the dead werewolves around and she was not interested in watching.

It was chilling how many dead bodies lay in the clearing. All a result of this awful summer, Klaus' quest, her cooperation and the vengeful tendencies of werewolves.

Josie just sat there as Ray failed his transition and ran off, chased by Stefan. Then the rest of the werewolves inevitably followed.

Klaus was furious as he was forced to kill each of them in turn, mostly because they were trying to attack him or Josie. She winced at his fury, but didn't say anything.

She had another vision just as Klaus was howling in frustration. She saw Mason speaking to Tyler and Damon, showing them the Lockwood cave that held all the information about the Original family. Mason said it should tell them how to kill an Original, so they could free Josie and Stefan from Klaus. It wasn't clear when the vision was taking place, but she sensed it was in the very near future, either tomorrow or the next day.

When she came back to reality, Klaus was crouching in front of her.

"What is it?" Klaus asked. "Something that can help us?"

"Maybe," Josie lied. "I saw a witch you once knew. You were talking to her about the curse. Gloria."

Seemed as good a lie as any, since that was what Klaus was going to do anyway.

"Chicago," said Klaus, nodding.

At that moment, Stefan came back to the clearing. Klaus fed him his blood as Ray had bitten Stefan, and then Klaus announced they were leaving the forest.

That night, she was sitting at a table eating dinner in the bar/restaurant next to the motel they were staying at. Stefan was feeding somewhere, shaking off the werewolf bite. Klaus sat at the bar, drinking an impressive amount of alcohol. He had been since they'd gotten there.

She finished her meal and went to the bar. Even though she'd thrown Mason's piece of paper away, the words still burned in her mind. 'We have a plan.' Based on her vision, was the plan Mikael? Was he going to show up out of nowhere? She'd have to try and kill him then, with the bloodline issue. God, she really needed a drink.

"What are we drinking?" she asked Klaus. "Besides the whole bar, apparently."

Klaus called the bartender over.

"Bourbon and coke," he said, knowing Josie's drink. "Unless you'd prefer something else?"

Josie shook her head. "That's fine."

They sat there in silence while the bartender fixed her drink.

"A thousand years," Klaus finally sighed, clearly feeling the effects of the alcohol. "All for nothing."

"Yeah," agreed Josie, not really knowing what to say.

He looked so morose. She almost felt bad. Then she remembered he had kidnapped her and wanted hybrid slaves to take over the world or whatever and yeah, she went back to not caring that much.

"Tell me," said Klaus. "What did you see of Gloria?"

Josie shrugged. "That she's a witch. That you knew her back in the 20's."

"Ah, the 20's," said Klaus, wistfully. Jesus, he'd had a lot to drink. "Perhaps my favorite decade of the past century." He paused, looking at her. "Did you..?"

"See you with Stefan?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You too looked chummy. Why not just restore his memories?"

Klaus shook his head. "He's not the same Stefan. I'm not sure how he'd react."

Josie tilted her head. It was clear Klaus was wary of Stefan's reaction. He really did care what Stefan thought.

"So what do you want from him then?" she asked.

"If I had my way, he'd be my second-in-command."

"Of your hybrid army?"

"Oh, don't be so short-sighted," said Klaus, smiling. "I desire nothing less than global domination."

Josie rolled her eyes and stifled a laugh. "And then what? After you're king of the world, then what?"

Klaus paused. She wondered if he'd ever thought about that.

"Then everything," said Klaus.

"What will you have then that you don't have now?" she asked, shaking her head.

"Whatever I want," he said. "The most powerful king there ever was. Top of the food chain."

Josie frowned. "Sounds kinda lonely."

"Well, every king needs a queen," he said, looking into her eyes and smiling.

Josie held his gaze for a second and had a crazy thought: How would it feel to be Klaus' queen? Then she blinked and laughed at the absurdity of it all.

"Well if I get a vision of a nice, or not-so-nice lady vampire for you, I'll let you know," she giggled, thinking about it. "Oracle match-making! We could charge a fee."

Klaus just smiled and shook his head. And so they sat there for a while, drinking and talking nonsense. Josie had a few drinks and was feeling pleasantly tipsy, while Klaus showed no signs of slowing down.

"It's late, Klaus," she finally said, getting off the bar stool.

She tugged on his arm. "Let's go."

"One more drink, love."

"You said that about the last one!" she exclaimed, moving toward the exit, deciding she was leaving with or without him.

"Not so fast," he said, appearing in front of her.

"Get out of my way," she said, trying to move past him. "I'm tired. I hiked up a fucking mountain today and nearly got mauled by a werewolf."

"I believe I carried you most of the way, my dear," he smirked as she unsuccessfully tried to push him.

"Move, Klaus!" she said, still pushing him.

She looked at her hands placed on his chest and had a flashback to the dream Lexi had created that morning. Her hands on his bare chest, his lips moving over hers, fingers tangled in her hair… She quickly retracted her hands and took a deep breath.

"Are you alright?" Klaus asked. "Your heart is beating a mile a minute."

"I'm fine. Just get out of the way."

"Is there a problem here?" came a voice from behind Josie.

She turned around to see two burly giants of men, both of them eyeing Klaus with an unfavorable expression.

"No problem," Josie said quickly.

"Is this guy bothering you?" one of the men asked.

"I'm fine," said Josie, trying to reassure the two men. "Really."

Klaus stepped forward, despite Josie's attempts to stop him. "Why don't you mind your own business, mate?"

"What happens in this town is our business, buddy," returned the other man, stepping up to Klaus. "Over here we treat our ladies with respect."

"Is that so?" said Klaus in an eerily calm voice. "Where I'm from we're taught to respect our superiors."

Josie cringed as the two men laughed in Klaus' face.

"We were just leaving," Josie said, pushing on Klaus. "Come on."

"I think perhaps these two gentlemen need a lesson in respect, love."

"And who's gonna give it to us?" sneered one of the men. "You?"

"It'd be a genuine pleasure," smiled Klaus.

"Just go!" Josie warned them. "He'll kill you. Trust me."

Unfortunately, her words had the opposite effect she intended.

"I think the lady needs to stay here with us while we call the Sheriff," said one of men, casually lifting his jacket to reveal a handgun strapped to his belt. "Just to make sure she's okay."

Klaus didn't waste another second talking. Before Josie could blink, Klaus had thrown one of the guys across the bar where he crashed into the pool table and the other was providing Klaus' dinner for the evening.

"Does anyone else have a problem with me?" shouted Klaus to the rest of the stunned patrons.

Nobody said a word as he dropped the second guy's body.

Josie just shook her head in disgust at Klaus and stomped out the door. Klaus caught up to her quickly.

"You couldn't just let it go?" she asked, exasperated.

"They threatened to take you," he answered, eyes narrowed.

Josie rolled her eyes. "Like they had a chance in hell of keeping me there. They were just concerned for my safety, Klaus." She scoffed. "Maybe they were right."

She turned toward the motel room door, but Klaus appeared in front of her.

"You know I won't hurt you," he said, seriously.

"Yeah, as long as I do what I'm told, right?" she asked. "As long as I play the compliant Oracle?"

"Compliant?" growled Klaus, incredulously. "I'm trying to recall the last time you were compliant. It certainly wasn't this afternoon when you plunged headlong into a fight with a werewolf twice your size after swearing you'd be careful. Or when you convinced me to spare those two girls only to have a rescue team appear at our doorstep the next day. Or perhaps it was in New York when you somehow lost your bodyguards in Times Square and didn't think to call anyone for an entire evening." He paused. "I sincerely hope I needn't continue."

Josie huffed, irritated at his criticism of her behavior. Was she just supposed to let Mason die? And her bodyguards were such a drag. She'd just wanted one fucking evening to herself. Sheesh.

"Why do you put up with me if I'm such a fucking bother?" she exclaimed, crossing her arms.

"Because you have a rare gift, my dear," said Klaus, opening the door to the motel room. "And if I wanted a compliant, obedient Oracle, I never would have provoked your anger on your birthday."

Josie frowned as she walked into the hotel room, thinking back to her birthday. When she'd screamed at him in the hotel suite in St. Louis. Their whole dynamic had changed after that. She was no longer scared of him and had been herself since.

"So you want me to be a bother?" she asked, sitting down on her bed confused.

"I want you to be yourself, love," he said, standing before her. "You took on the most feared vampire in the history of the world and you nearly won. You convinced Elijah to work against me, Katerina to hunt me and despite your defeat, you saved all your loved ones in the end. That's the girl I want you to be."

Klaus gazed into her eyes intensely for a few seconds before heading to the bathroom.

Josie fell back on the bed when he'd closed the bathroom door. Klaus was such a contradiction. How could he violently attack two people and then just a few minutes later pay her possibly the highest compliment anyone had ever given her? Even when he was in a good mood, he wasn't a nice guy. He was charming and friendly, but not one to give out real compliments, just flattery designed to get him what he wanted.

Josie knew it was at least partially the alcohol he'd had, but his words had seemed genuine and, oddly, full of respect.

Josie groaned and rolled over, trying to escape her confusing thoughts.

 **A/N: The Butterfly Effect continues to affect the storyline. I couldn't resist putting Mason back in. I think Damon's had enough time to cool off and can recognize that Mason can be an ally to help Stefan and Josie. Also, I think it's realistic that the Mystic Falls gang would put forth more effort to save Stefan and, especially Josie, given she isn't a 160-year-old vampire.**

 **I wanted to put in a few genuine moments between Klaus and Josie before we go back to Mystic Falls. Whether they end up as friends or lovers, I do want their relationship to be based on more than just banter and flirting. Klaus is a fairly closed off character though (I think he'll loosen up as he and Josie get closer), so I poured some alcohol on him. Hopefully, this gives you some insight into his behavior towards Josie…**


	36. The End of the Affair

The next day, Klaus, Josie and Stefan made their way to Chicago. It was late afternoon when they arrived. By the time they had checked into the three bedroom suite and washed the airport off, Klaus decided they were going to see Gloria tomorrow as tonight her place would be busy and the chance of being overheard was too great.

In the meantime, Josie insisted they go out for dinner. Which then turned into a quick tour of the city's top sights. Despite Stefan's ever-grumpy mood and Klaus' seen-it-all attitude, Josie enjoyed strolling through Millennium Park and doing a bit of shopping along Michigan Avenue.

The next morning, after a room service breakfast, they headed to Gloria's. She had a vision on the way. Damon, Elena and Tyler, all coming to Chicago to rescue her and Stefan.

Tyler was coming! That hadn't happened in the original storyline. Why was he coming? Did he still care, as Mason had said? Josie wasn't sure how she felt. She'd been devastated when she'd had that vision of Tyler and Caroline in Italy. Now, the wound was less fresh and she was still hurt, but wasn't sure Tyler and her should get back together. What would he say if he knew how many werewolves had died this summer because of her?

If she was being honest with herself, besides her family and friends, the person she missed the most, thought about the most over the summer, was Elijah.

She lied to Klaus about the vision, saying it was of 1920s Chicago. Klaus cut her off, not wanting Stefan to know yet how they knew each other.

Finally, they got to Gloria's and Josie, Klaus and Stefan walked in.

"Look familiar?" asked Klaus.

Josie smiled, wondering if he was asking just Stefan or both of them.

"I can't believe this place is still here," Stefan said.

"I can't believe she didn't change the name," said Josie, rolling her eyes. "Like people wouldn't notice."

"You got to be kidding me," came a voice from behind them.

Klaus smiled. "So, a hybrid walks into a bar, says to the bartender…"

"Stop," said Gloria. "You may be invincible, but that doesn't make you funny."

She walked up to Stefan, Klaus and Josie.

"I remember you," she said to Stefan.

"You're Gloria," said Stefan, tilting his head. "Shouldn't you be…"

"Old and dead?" asked Gloria. "Now if I die who's gonna run this place?"

"Gloria's a very powerful witch," explained Klaus, smiling.

"I can slow the aging down some. Herbs and spells. But don't worry, it'll catch up to me one day," she said, eyeing Josie with curiosity.

"This is Josie," said Klaus, not offering any more explanation.

"Nice to meet you," Josie returned, holding out her hand.

Gloria took it and looked at her with interest. "And what's a human doing hanging around with two vampires?"

It was Klaus who answered. "Josie's my favorite pet," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I like to keep a steady supply of fresh blood with me. I'm sure you understand."

Josie blushed at this humiliating description of herself, but forced down the biting retort that bubbled up. Klaus clearly didn't want Gloria to know what she was. After being captured by the coven in Italy, Josie tended to agree.

Klaus suggested Stefan go fix them drinks, but gestured for Josie to sit down with him and Gloria. He assured Gloria that Josie had been compelled to keep his secrets, but Josie knew Klaus wanted her there in case Gloria was being deceitful.

Josie remembered that Gloria had her own agenda, but couldn't remember what it was. All she remembered was that Gloria's help turned out to be useless. It was only when Klaus returned to Mystic Falls and discovered Elena was alive, that he was able to make more hybrids. Of course, Klaus was aware Elena was alive here. He'd been assured by his witches that as long as Elena died, even if she was later resurrected, it wouldn't affect the curse breaking.

Josie could barely contain her excitement when Gloria insisted that Klaus revive Rebekah in order to talk to the Original Witch. She'd forgotten about that. In order to revive Rebekah of course, he'd need to gather the coffins. Including Elijah's! She forced herself to breathe evenly, though she was sure Klaus could her the uptick in her heart if he was listening.

They were about to leave, after Stefan's revelation that he knew Klaus once upon a time, when another vision hit her. It was of Caroline. Now that Tyler was coming to Chicago, he hadn't been in Mystic Falls to interfere with Bill Forbes' sadistic plans to 'fix' his vampire daughter through torture. She watched, horrified, as Caroline's tormented screams seemed to be never-ending.

Josie was shouting when she came back to reality and she realized she was in Klaus' arms, flailing and crying.

Gloria was looking at her curiously.

"She gets the fits I'm afraid," said Klaus, looking at Gloria.

"And she's your favorite pet?" asked Gloria, raising her eyebrows.

"Sweetest blood you've ever tasted," said Klaus, darkly. "It's a vampire thing."

Josie had to resist rolling her eyes as Klaus led her out of the bar and into the car.

Once they'd pulled away, she told Klaus what she'd seen. She called Alaric and explained the situation, figuring he was the best person in Mystic Falls to help Caroline.

"And I'm a pet?" asked Josie when she hung up with Alaric. "Can't you think of an explanation that isn't so humiliating?"

"Why else would I keep a human around?" Klaus asked, frowning.

"I don't know, maybe I'm just good company," said Josie, crossing her arms. She sighed. "Do you think she believed you?"

"At first," Klaus replied. "After your little episode, I'm not sure."

He asked her if she knew if Gloria was being honest or not. She said she hadn't had any visions besides the original one from Gloria. Then Klaus pulled into the warehouse where he was keeping his family. Stefan stopped him as they were walking, demanding an explanation of how he knew Klaus.

"So I knew another Original Vampire?" asked Stefan, after Klaus told him about Rebekah. "Did you know about this?" he asked Josie.

"Oh no, I'm not getting in the middle of this," she said, following Klaus.

Klaus removed the dagger from Rebekah and then they started to wait. And wait. Josie used the time to memorize the location of the other coffins in the warehouse, wondering which one contained Elijah.

She just rolled her eyes as Stefan tried to get more information out of Klaus. Then her. She crossed her arms and refused to answer him.

"Suddenly so chatty after all those weeks of brooding silence?" she asked.

"She does have a point, mate," said Klaus.

Finally, Stefan wouldn't quit, so Klaus instructed the guard to tell Rebekah to meet them at Gloria's and then took them to Stefan's old apartment. Josie was nervous, wondering if Elena was there, possibly with Damon and Tyler. Elena hadn't been discovered in the show, so Josie had to hope she wouldn't be discovered here.

When they got there, the door handle had been ripped off and Klaus was suspicious.

"Do you feel that?" he asked. "Is anybody here?"

Stefan suggested that people must break in all the time since it'd been vacant. Klaus explained how Stefan had collected the names of all the people he killed. Stefan looked horrified, especially as Josie was there to hear all of it. Then Klaus showed Stefan his secret compartment.

Stefan went in the compartment and his face remain stoic. Didn't betray whether or not anyone was in there. Josie didn't dare to follow, in case her face gave her away. She just watched as Stefan grabbed a bottle from the shelf.

"Single Malt," said Stefan.

"My favorite," replied Klaus. "Let's go and find someone to pair it with."

"Gross," said Josie, rolling her eyes. "Mind if I use your bathroom, Stefan?"

Stefan nodded and Josie knew he was wondering if she knew they weren't alone in the apartment.

When she came out of the bathroom, thankfully Stefan and Klaus were in the hallway. She crept to the secret compartment and opened it to find Tyler and Elena standing there.

Josie held her finger up to her mouth to indicate they were not to make a sound, as Elena enveloped her in a giant hug. They stood there like that for a few seconds before Elena pulled away. Then Tyler swooped in and, to Josie's surprise, kissed her. It was brief, but definitely more than a just-friends kiss.

Not being able to speak was frustrating and Josie pulled away from both of them before too long, not wanting Klaus to come looking for her.

'I have to go,' mouthed Josie.

Surprisingly, Tyler and Elena nodded. Clearly, whatever plan they had, it didn't start in a secret compartment at Stefan's old apartment.

She was just closing the door to the secret compartment behind her when Klaus walked back into the apartment.

"You coming, love?" he asked. "What were you doing in there?"

"I just wanted to see the list," she answered, honestly.

She had looked at Stefan's list while in the pantry with Tyler and Elena. It was disturbingly long. She wondered how long her own list was at this point. How many people had lost their lives because she was here instead of back in her own world? She had been so sure she was doing the right thing when she had left Mystic Falls. Where had it all gone wrong? She pushed that thought away and focused on getting Klaus out of the apartment quickly.

"He truly is a magnificent creature," Klaus commented.

Josie rolled her eyes. "Nobody wants to hear you wax poetically about Stefan's bloodlust. It's almost dinnertime."

"What do you fancy, then?" he asked.

"We're finally in a decent-sized city," she grinned.

Klaus smiled as he walked into the hallway.

"Sushi it is," he said, closing the door to the apartment behind them.

When they were back at Gloria's, Josie left Stefan and Klaus at the bar and went to sit at a table, alone with her sushi take-out. She knew Stefan was needling Klaus about their past friendship, blah, blah, blah. Josie wanted to keep a look-out for the trio from Mystic Falls.

She had just finished her meal and was sipping her drink when a guy, Will, came by and started talking to her. Thankful for the company that wasn't Klaus or Stefan, they talked for a while, though Josie could see Klaus shooting glances over at them.

"Is that your boyfriend?" Will asked, after Josie and Klaus exchanged another look.

"No. He's my boss." she answered, which is what she standardly told anyone who asked.

Will smiled. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No. I broke up with somebody a few months ago. What about you?" she asked, returning his smile.

Will shook his head. "Broke up with my girlfriend when I left for college. I just finished my sophomore year and I'm interning at a law firm downtown."

"Really, which firm?"

"Barnes and Rookwood. It's really nice. They lease a few floors near the top of the Willis building. The view is beautiful."

Josie did like a nice view. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, I could show you," he said, smiling. "My keypass lets me in anytime, day or night. The nighttime view is spectacular…"

Then Klaus came. He pulled Will up roughly and compelled him to leave.

"What the hell, Klaus?" Josie asked. "He was perfectly harmless."

"He was trying to get you to leave, love," said Klaus, taking Will's seat.

Josie rolled her eyes.

"He wanted to show me the skyline, not steal my visions. How am I ever supposed to meet anyone with you hovering like a jealous boyfriend?" she asked, exasperated.

Klaus narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but was distracted by someone behind her.

"Damon!" Josie exclaimed, turning her head to see the older Salvatore brother.

Probably here to distract Klaus so Stefan and Josie could talk to Elena and Tyler.

"I see they've opened the door to the riff-raff now," said Klaus, getting up to face Damon.

"Oh honey," said Damon, pulling up a chair to sit down at Josie and Klaus' table. "I've been called worse."

Klaus sat back down, while Josie got up.

"I'm going to the bathroom before I get choked by testosterone," she said, heading to the back of the bar.

"You don't give up, do you?" she heard Klaus say to Damon as she quietly slipped out the back door to the alley.

She had barely stepped out the door when Tyler wrapped his arms around her. Elena and Stefan stood several feet away, having an intense conversation.

"Are you okay?" Tyler asked. "I'm sorry Mason had to leave you the other day. We were still putting our plan together."

Josie frowned and pushed Tyler away.

"What plan? Klaus is in there right now. Damon won't be able to distract him for long. He tends to keep a close eye on me."

Tyler looked hurt when she pushed him away. Then angry when she mentioned Klaus' watchful eye.

"Mason said that monster was a little too protective of you."

His voice was laced with suggestion.

Josie rolled her eyes. "Really, Tyler? He dragged me along on his werewolf hunt all summer and you're annoyed that Klaus is keeping me safe?"

"Don't be so naïve, Josie. He's a dude. Of course he wants to fuck you. Why do you think he makes you stay in the same hotel room?"

His words hit a nerve, given his recent dalliance with Caroline.

"Klaus hasn't touched me, Tyler. He hasn't even tried! After you screwed Caroline, you have the nerve to be throwing stones? I don't how it's possible, but Klaus is not the jerk in this scenario."

Tyler looked shocked. "What? How did you…? Caroline and I are just friends. She's been helping me every full moon when I turn. We were drinking at Elena's birthday and it just happened."

"I saw you!" exclaimed Josie. "In a vision. She's not just a friend, Tyler."

She remembered how they'd fallen in love in the original storyline.

"I still care about you, Josie," said Tyler.

Josie smiled sadly. "I know. And I care about you. But I don't think we should be together. I'm not sure I'm the same person I was when I left."

No sooner had the words left her mouth and she realized how true they were. After everything she'd seen and done this summer, how could she be with Tyler? Just a few days ago, she'd stood on the edge of a battlefield with at least 150 dead werewolves. And while part of her had felt awful, the other part had thought 'what did they expect when they tried to take on Klaus'?

"We just have to get you out of here," said Tyler, shaking his head. "It'll be different once you're home."

Josie wondered if he was right. She watched as Stefan did his own rejection of Elena.

"I don't want to see you, I don't want to be with you. Just take Josie and go," said Stefan, before turning back towards the bar.

"Josie!" Elena exclaimed, coming over to her and Tyler as Stefan went back inside. "What did Klaus do to Stefan?"

"I…" Josie didn't know what to say.

Tyler shook his head. "We'll figure everything out later. We have a plan to keep you hidden from Klaus until we can get rid of him. Mason found a way to kill him and figured out how to hide you."

"Just sit tight a little longer," said Elena, squeezing Josie's hand.

Josie frowned. "And what's to stop Klaus from killing all of you in the meantime?"

"You let us worry about that," answered Tyler.

"What?" hissed Josie. "Are you kidding me? I'm here to keep you all safe."

"Just trust us," said Elena, pushing Josie toward the bar.

Josie rolled her eyes in annoyance, but went back into Gloria's, knowing Klaus would soon be wondering why she was taking so long in the bathroom.

When she returned, Klaus announced they were going back to the warehouse to find Rebekah, who hadn't shown up at Gloria's.

They got to the warehouse and Klaus instructed her and Stefan to wait outside until he told them to come in. They waited for a few minutes in silence. Josie desperately wanted to ask Stefan what, if anything, he knew about this rescue plan, but didn't dare, in case Klaus was listening. Finally, Stefan indicated Klaus said they could come in.

She let Stefan lead the way. Josie didn't want Rebekah to mistake her for a snack. Josie was just rounding the corner when she heard Rebekah say, "Stefan?"

Rebekah's eyes flickered to Josie.

"I'll explain about the girl later," said Klaus to Rebekah, before striding over to Stefan and removing his memory compulsion.

Josie found a box to sit on while Klaus, Stefan and Rebekah had their little reunion. She was pleased to see all the coffins were still there.

She witnessed the world's most epic hissy fit when Klaus asked Rebekah about the Original Witch and Rebekah discovered her necklace was missing.

Neither Stefan nor Josie saw fit to tell them it was hanging around Elena's neck.

"Josie, darling," said Klaus. "We're leaving."

Josie hopped off the box and went to stand next to him.

"Rebekah, this is Josie," said Klaus. "Josie, Rebekah."

"She's human," said Rebekah in confusion.

"She is also standing right here," said Josie, frowning.

"She's not compelled?" asked Rebekah, still confused.

Josie opened her mouth, but Klaus interrupted her.

"Now, now," said Klaus. "Rebekah has an awful temper, love."

"Worse than yours?" asked Josie, raising an eyebrow.

Rebekah looked surprised at her candor.

"Much," Klaus said, smiling.

"You make me sound awful, Nik," said Rebekah.

"Well, Josie has probably seen it for herself," said Klaus. Rebekah looked confused. "She's an Oracle."

"An Oracle?" Rebekah repeated. "I thought…"

"Oracle's aren't real?" finished Klaus. "I thought so too. But this one has a direct connection to the Sight. She's proved quite useful."

Josie rolled her eyes. "Yes, that's me. Just another asset in the burgeoning empire de Klaus." Josie smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Rebekah."

Rebekah looked at Klaus with a curious expression. Klaus just shook his head at Josie's sarcastic comment.

"So…" said Josie. "We have so much to catch you up on. We have to get you some new clothes too. I think you're about my size, so you can wear my things until we get you some of your own. Wait until you see what fashion is like nowadays. They didn't even have leggings when you were last awake."

She led Rebekah to the car. Rebekah shot a look back at Klaus, who just laughed.

Maybe she and Rebekah could be friends. It would be a welcome relief to have a girl to talk to in the midst of this sausage fest.

Rebekah climbed into the back of the car with Josie. She asked all sorts of questions about the modern world and Josie answered them as best as she could. Klaus explained how he'd broken the curse, but was having trouble creating hybrids.

At that point, they arrived at the hotel and Josie showed Rebekah around the suite. There were three bedrooms and Josie showed Rebekah the one they would be sharing.

"I hope you don't mind being my roommate," said Josie, smiling.

"You don't share with my brother?" asked Rebekah.

Josie's eyes widened. "What? No! Why would you think that?"

Rebekah tilted her head. "No reason, I suppose."

She was obviously lying, but Josie definitely wasn't going to call her on it.

"So you probably want a shower and a change of clothes," said Josie, changing the subject.  
Rebekah nodded eagerly as she followed Josie into the en-suite bathroom.

Josie explained how the shower worked, the various toiletries, etc. Josie gave Rebekah a set of pajamas to wear and told her that she'd be in the living room if Rebekah needed anything.

Josie went out and headed to the bar area to fix herself a drink. Klaus was sitting on the couch, sipping a drink of his own. Stefan was in his room as usual.

"How's she getting on, then?" asked Klaus.

"Okay," said Josie. "She has almost a hundred years of catching up to do."

Klaus nodded. "Thank you for helping her, love."

Josie was surprised. Klaus almost never said thank you. Like he thought being grateful was a weakness of some kind. Josie knew that Klaus had a special affection for Rebekah.

"You're welcome," she said, sitting down on the opposite end of the couch. "So, Chicago in the 1920s. Spill. What was it like?"

Klaus smiled and regaled her with tales of the Roaring 20s in Chicago. It was something of a habit they'd formed when all talk of werewolf hunting and plots and schemes had been exhausted. With a thousand years of living, Klaus had racked up a host of interesting life experiences and didn't mind sharing with Josie. He had a thing about seeking out some of the most influential people of the day, so his tales often involved famous figures as well.

"Al Capone had you executed?" asked Josie, confused.

"Several times," smirked Klaus. "He couldn't figure out how I kept escaping his enforcers."

Josie shook her head. "Why not just compel him to forget you or something?"

"And miss all the fun?" said Klaus, smiling.

Josie laughed. Of course he would think toying with the most feared mobster alive was funny.

"You two seem to be enjoying yourselves," said Rebekah from the doorway to her and Josie's room.

"Join us for a drink, dear sister," said Klaus, gesturing to the bar. "I was just telling Josie of Al Capone's disastrous attempts to have me killed."

"If you really want to impress your little girlfriend, maybe you should tell her of the time you bedded all four of King Ferdinand's daughters in the… 15th century, was it?" mused Rebekah, still leaning against the doorway of the bedroom.

Josie rolled her eyes. What was Rebekah's deal?

"Don't tell me it was all four in one night?" Josie asked, pointedly ignoring Rebekah's 'girlfriend' comment.

Rebekah smirked. "Of course not. He may be a vampire, but he's no Casanova."

"I've talked many a reluctant girl out of her clothes," said Klaus defensively.

"I think Kol would probably win in that department," said Rebekah. "Nik and I left him once near the border of the Ottoman Empire. Just for a few days, mind you. When we returned, he'd convinced the entire village to appointment him king and had already set up a harem."

Josie giggled. She didn't know what was funnier- the mental image she was enjoying, or the sour look on Klaus' face.

"He'd compelled…" Klaus began.

"He did not," Rebekah cut in. "You know as well as I do that Kol would no more compel a woman into bed with him than you would."

"Are you going to join us for a drink or just stand there spilling all our family secrets?" asked Klaus, looking annoyed.

"I don't fancy being third wheel. I just came to tell you I'm going to bed," said Rebekah. "Be quiet when you come in," she told Josie. "If you come in."

Rebekah smirked at Klaus before closing the door behind her.

"You'll have to forgive Rebekah," said Klaus, looking at Josie. "She lacks some of the social graces."

Josie laughed uncomfortably. "There isn't any way you could get her to stop, could you?"

"I suppose I could redagger her."

Josie frowned. "Or you could just ask her to go easy on the human."

Klaus looked at her with an odd expression.

"Rest assured, my dear, her comments aren't directed at you."

Josie was confused and raised her eyebrows, indicating for Klaus to continue.

Klaus downed his glass. "Think I'll head to bed myself. Good night, Josie."

He headed into his bedroom, leaving Josie to finish her drink in the living room alone.

 **A/N: I debated whether or not to have Tyler come to Chicago and how Rebekah would react to Josie's presence, so let me know what you thought!**


	37. Disturbing Behavior

The next morning Josie helped Rebekah do her hair and get ready. They took Rebekah to a fun boutique where they had the sales clerk bring a bunch of things for her to try on.

"It'll be fun," said Josie, pushing Rebekah toward the dressing room. "Like a fashion show."

Rebekah rolled her eyes, but agreed to go in. So far, Rebekah had been fairly nice to her. Josie wondered if Klaus had something to do with that, but didn't question it. She definitely didn't want to get on Rebekah's bad side.

"There has to be more to this dress," Rebekah called out from the dressing room as a sales clerk poured them some champagne.

"Trust me," said Klaus. "There's not."

"So women in the 21st century dress like prostitutes then?" asked Rebekah, walking out.

"Ouch," said Josie, tugging on the hem of her shorts. Okay fine, so they were a bit short, but it was summer and really hot outside. "It's hot outside."

"I think you look lovely, Josie," said Klaus, looking at the cleavage she was trying to hide.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "I got dirty looks for wearing trousers."

"You wore trousers so today women could wear nothing," said Klaus.

"And what is this music?" asked Rebekah, not deterred. "It sounds like a cable car accident."

Josie couldn't blame her. She wasn't a huge fan of house.

"It's dance music," said Stefan.

"You would dance to this?" asked Rebekah.

She turned to Josie, who shrugged.

"Are we done?" asked Klaus, impatiently.

"I offered to go alone with her," said Josie, exasperated. "Surely Rebekah is up to the task of being my bodyguard."

"I'd feel better leaving you alone with Stefan," grumbled Klaus.

"And why are you so grumpy?" asked Rebekah.

"I needed one thing from you for my witch," said Klaus. "One thing. Your necklace. And you lost it."

"I didn't lose it. It's just been missing for 90 years. So what do you think?" Rebekah gestured toward the dress.

"I like it," said Stefan.

Rebekah narrowed her eyes at him.

"What? I said I liked it," defended Stefan.

"I can always tell when you're lying, Stefan," said Rebekah. "Josie, what do you think?"

"I'm not a fan of the material," she said, getting up. "And the hem is really weird. Let's find something else."

She tugged Rebekah back into the dressing room.

"Thanks for your honest opinion," said Rebekah, throwing an annoyed glance at Stefan.

"Nice work. Thanks for that," said Klaus.

Stefan shrugged. "You're the one that pulled the dagger out of her."

"I heard that," shouted Rebekah.

Josie helped Rebekah pick out another dress, then another. Much to Klaus' annoyance, since Stefan had gone out. Josie just wanted to make sure Rebekah had a decent wardrobe. It was every girl's right after all.

"What's wrong with this one?" asked Josie, sitting on the stool in the dressing room, holding up a dress. "You said you like red."

"Where's the back?" frowned Rebekah. "It's shorter than the first one I tried."

Josie rolled her eyes. "It's not that bad. I'll show you."

Josie put the dress on and twirled around. "See? It's much better on."

"It's really not," said Rebekah.

Josie shook her head and went out of the dressing room to look in the full-length mirror with Rebekah following.

"I wouldn't go to church in it, but it would be fine for a club or party," said Josie, examining the dress from every angle.

"It definitely suits you, love," said Klaus, eyes roaming over her figure.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Suddenly you have an opinion."

They stayed at the store for a little while longer and found a few more things for Rebekah. Klaus also insisted they get the red dress for Josie. Then they headed to Gloria's.

They had been there for about 30 minutes with Gloria chanting and whatever when Stefan came in.

"She's looking for the necklace, huh?" asked Stefan.

Josie bit her lip, knowing of course, that Stefan knew it was currently hanging around Elena's neck. Probably back in Mystic Falls by now, the way Damon drove.

Rebekah volunteered for necklace-finding duty as she'd worn it for a long time. So, Gloria held onto Rebekah's hand and chanted. When she announced she'd found the necklace, Josie held her breath. Then Gloria was all wishy-washy about where it was, Klaus got annoyed and Gloria told them to give her some space.

"Why don't we just come back later?" said Stefan, clapping a hand on Klaus' shoulder. "I'm hungry anyway. I'll let you pick who we eat."

Klaus smiled at that and Rebekah was all for it. Josie wrinkled her nose and surprisingly Gloria took pity on her.

"The girl can stay if you want," offered Gloria.

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "She's coming with us." He put a hand on Josie's shoulder.

Josie sat in the little café next to the warehouse while Stefan, Klaus and Rebekah ate. She was grateful Klaus hadn't insisted she accompany them into the warehouse. He had compelled a few of the baristas to keep an eye on her, but considering one good shout and Klaus would hear her, she didn't think she was in too much danger. It was a set-up they'd done many times over the summer.

She went to the bathroom after finishing her sandwich and was shocked to see Katherine Pierce come in after her. Her shock was doubled when she saw Mason Lockwood was not far behind. Katherine locked the three of them into the ladies room and turned on the sink to provide some protection against vampire ears.

"What's going on?" asked Josie as soon as the water turned on.

"We're getting you out of here," said Mason

"Information first," said Katherine, shaking her head. "We need to know everything you know about what Stefan's planning."

Josie frowned. "Stefan hasn't said anything to me. I thought you guys were the one with the plan."

"We have a plan to hide you until we can kill Klaus, but the plan to kill him is taking a little longer than we thought," said Mason.

Ah, now she understood. They had thought there would be a weapon in the cave Mason showed them. They didn't know the cave was just an arrow that pointed to Mikael. Okay, so they were still in the beginning stages of the Mikael plan. That was a relief.

Then Josie was struck with a sudden thought. Maybe she could use Mikael to her advantage. He was probably going to come anyway. His defeat might just be a big enough carrot to get her out from under Klaus' control.

"I had a vision of Klaus and Rebekah in 1920s Chicago," said Josie. "They were running from someone. A vampire who hunts vampires."

Katherine's eyes widened in understanding. "I know how we can find him."

Mason frowned. "How?"

Katherine smiled. "I never thought I'd be so glad you saved my old friend Pearl's life, Josie."

"Okay, Kat. Now that we know how to find this hunter that can kill Klaus, we have to get Josie out of here and back to Gloria."

"Gloria?" asked Josie, surprised. "I can't leave. Klaus compelled the baristas to keep me from leaving."

"We know," smirked Katherine. "They're taking a break at the moment."

At Josie's horrified look, Katherine continued. "We didn't kill them," she said with a roll of her eyes.

From Katherine's expression, Josie could tell that was Mason's doing.

Before Josie could get another word in, the world blurred and she found herself inside Gloria's a few minutes later. That was the longest she had ever travelled at vampire speed and when Katherine set her down, she felt dizzy and nearly collapsed to the ground until Damon caught her.

"Damon! What are you doing here?" exclaimed Josie, holding onto him for support.

She wasn't really on board with this rescue plan. Not unless there was a foolproof way to protect everyone back in Mystic Falls from Klaus' wrath once he discovered Josie had been taken.

"Rescuing you of course," smirked Damon. "The only way to convince Elena to go back to Mystic Falls was if I stayed."

"When is someone going to tell me what this grand plan is?" asked Josie, exasperated.

"You're going to stay with some friends of Mason's for a while," said Damon.

Josie supposed werewolves made sense. A lot of them were nomads anyway.

"First, I need to remove the cloaking spell Klaus put on you and replace it with one of my own," explained Gloria, who was walking over with a Grimoire and some herbs. "No doubt he had a loophole created in his spell so he could track you in the event you were taken."

"So he can track me right now?" asked Josie, worried.

Gloria nodded. "We have to hurry. You have some natural resistance to magic, must be part of your Oracle make-up. It might take me a bit longer than normal."

She began chanting almost immediately.

"What's the plan to protect everyone in Mystic Falls?" Josie asked Damon.

"Katherine and I are leaving to find the hunter as soon as Mason gets here," replied Damon. "When Klaus comes to Mystic Falls looking for you, he'll kill Klaus."

"That's the plan?" Josie asked, incredulously.

Seriously, no wonder so many of the Scooby gang's plans failed.

"The cave was supposed to have a weapon," said Damon, defensively.

"Why don't I just stay with Klaus until you can find the hunter?" asked Josie. "I'm not in any danger."

Damon sighed. "The hunter's not a guarantee. We were always planning on getting you away from Klaus, Josie. We would have done it sooner, but we didn't know where you were."

Josie frowned, but didn't know what else to say. She wasn't sure what to do. Go with Mason and the werewolves? Risk everyone in Mystic Falls? She didn't want to go running back to Klaus though. Her mind was swirling with all the possibilities when Gloria announced she was done and Klaus' cloaking spell had been removed.

At that moment, Mason walked in.

"That's our cue," said Damon.

Damon nodded at Katherine and the two of them slipped out the back entrance of the bar.

"Mason, this is a bad idea," said Josie, shaking her head. "I don't want anyone in Mystic Falls getting hurt. Klaus isn't the best traveling companion, but it could be worse. I can wait a little longer."

"We may never get another opportunity like this, Josie," said Mason. "Witches like Gloria aren't around every corner."

Josie sighed, realizing he, like Damon, would not be deterred.

"Why are you doing this, Mason?"

She knew Mason was a nice guy, but they weren't close or anything. She knew why Katherine was helping- she wanted to kill Klaus.

"You saved my life," said Mason. "That may not mean much to a human, but we werewolves live by a certain code. Plus my nephew's pretty fond of you. Even if you tried to dump him last night."

"We're not even together," said Josie, rolling his eyes. "And he slept with someone else."

Mason held up his hands. "I'm not defending him."

"Where is that girl with the witch hazel?" interrupted Gloria.

"And why are you doing this?" asked Josie, curious why Gloria would help her.

"Your friends promised me a talisman I've been wanting for a long time," said Gloria. "When you had that vision yesterday, I knew who you were and that there were people looking for you. When I saw this necklace hanging around your sister's neck, I was more than happy to help."

Gloria held up Esther's necklace and regarded it with awe.

"Excuse me," said Gloria, getting up. "I need that witch hazel if I'm going to do another cloaking spell on you. Where is Diana?"

"Diana?" repeated Josie.

"She volunteered to help see you safely to the wolves," explained Gloria. "A friend of a friend."

"I'll get her," said Mason, turning toward the back.

"Ah, there she is," said Gloria.

Josie looked up and to her shock, there was the dark-haired lady from her dreams that she'd met in Italy. She had a name. Diana! A million questions came to Josie's mind to ask her before they were interrupted by a horrible realization: there was no way Diana was helping Mason and Gloria. She was the one that had insisted Josie stay with Klaus.

"You can't trust her," said Josie, getting up and backing away. "She's not here to take me away."

"Diana, what is she talking about?" asked Gloria, frowning.

"I'm sorry, Gloria," said Diana sadly. "I had to."

As if to underscore Diana's betrayal, the front door to Gloria's opened and Klaus strolled in. Josie could hardly breathe.

"You know when I ask an old friend for a favor," Klaus began. "I expect it to be done."

Gloria held out her hand. "Don't come any closer."

Klaus growled at the threat. "You lied to me, witch."

"You lied to me about who this girl really was," Gloria countered, hand still held aloft. "Her gifts should never be used to serve the likes of you!"

"Well that's the problem with Nik," said Rebekah, walking in with Stefan and standing beside her brother. "He's always taking things that don't belong to him."

"You know you can't take on all three of us, Gloria," said Klaus, smiling.

Gloria's fierce expression faltered and Klaus zoomed to her, biting her, while Stefan held Mason back.

Oddly, Klaus didn't kill Gloria, just fed off her for a few seconds. Rebekah must have thought it was strange too.

"Why don't you just kill her, Nik?" she asked.

"Problem is she's still our best bet to finding the solution to my problem," said Klaus, still gripping Gloria tightly. "Tell you what, Gloria. If you can fix my hybrids, I promise I'll make it quick. I see you have the needed necklace."

Josie tried to control her breathing. She had to try and save Gloria. Mason too. Especially Mason. The time had come. It was just then that she realized Diana was gone. She had disappeared as soon as Klaus had arrived.

"Klaus…" Josie began.

"Not now, Josie," growled Klaus. "Your pleas won't sway me this time."

"I had a vision while you were gone," she said. "I know why your hybrids aren't working."

At that, Klaus zoomed to stand in front of her.

"I'm listening, love."

"Please let them go," said Josie.

Klaus tilted his head as if thinking.

"You're sure you know?" he asked.

Josie nodded. "Positive."

"Good," he smiled.

Then he sped back over to Gloria and snapped her neck.

Josie screamed. "What the hell?"

"She tried to take you from me," he said, blurring back to her. "She was already dead."

"Please don't kill Mason," pleaded Josie, looking at Mason, still being restrained by Stefan. "He was just… he owed me a life debt. You took me first, if you recall."

Did Klaus not realize the absurdity of what he was saying? Did he really think there was going to be no attempt to try and rescue her?

Klaus turned his gaze on Mason.

"Perhaps I'd be willing to spare him if he tells me who his accomplices were?"

Mason shrugged. "It was just me and Gloria."

"Loyalty," said Klaus with a slight smile. "I like that. Tell you what, love. Since his kind are in such short supply, he can be the guinea pig."

Josie could only watch with wide eyes as Klaus blurred over to Mason, fed the werewolf his blood and then snapped Mason's neck. Mason's body fell to the ground with a rough slump.

"I do hope you weren't lying when you said you know how to fix my hybrids," said Klaus, suddenly in front of Josie.

"I wasn't," she said, looking at Mason's body.

She hadn't wanted him to be a hybrid. She had wanted to save Tyler from that too. Hopefully she still could. She knew both the Lockwood boys wouldn't want to be sired to Klaus.

"It's Elena," she said, not able to meet Stefan's eyes. "They need to drink Elena's blood during the transition."

Klaus frowned. "Really?"

"The doppelganger's blood is the solution?" asked Rebekah. "Why would the Original Witch make it like that?"

Klaus tilted his head. "Well I suppose it makes sense if you think about it from her perspective. It would be a failsafe if I ever broke the hybrid curse. The doppelganger had to die in order for me to become a hybrid but if she was dead…"

"Then you couldn't use her blood to sire yourself a new species," finished Rebekah.

"Leaving me alone for all time," said Klaus.

Josie bit her lip and looked at his face when he said that. She had a flash then. Not a vision, but scenes from the show. When Klaus had been human, terrified of Mikael. When he'd found out Mikael wasn't his real father. When Esther had cursed him. When he'd discovered who his real father was only to find him dead not soon after, killed by Mikael.

Elijah hadn't understood why Josie pitied him. Pitied a monster like Klaus. This whole summer, she'd gone from hating Klaus to not hating him as much to maybe he was okay sometimes. She suddenly remembered why she had sympathized with him once upon a time.

"Is that what this is about? Your obsession with hybrids? You just don't want to be alone?" asked Rebekah.

"What I want," said Klaus. "Is to go to Mystic Falls to get some doppelganger blood in this wolf. Once he wakes up he'll have 24 hours to complete his transition. Plenty of time to get a donation from Elena."

Josie looked at Stefan and wondered what he was thinking. He obviously still loved Elena and didn't want her becoming a human blood bag for Klaus' cause. Josie wondered if they could persuade Klaus to just humanely take blood every so often and leave Elena alone. He had pretty much done that in the show, given she had two vampire brothers who would die to protect her.

Klaus led them out of the bar (Rebekah grabbed her necklace and Stefan grabbed Mason) and they headed to the warehouse to see to the coffins.

When they got to the warehouse, Klaus was on the phone with the charter company, securing them a flight to Virginia as soon as possible. He was having a difficult time as it was already quite late in the day and there seemed to be several conferences in town. Too bad compulsion didn't work over the phone. The thick walls of the warehouse blocked cell service, so Klaus stayed outside while Stefan, Rebekah and Josie went in.

Seeing an opportunity, Josie sent a quick message to Stefan, asking him to distract Rebekah.

Stefan remarked that he'd seen an office the other day and wondered if the attendant was still there to take a quick bite out of. Rebekah just smiled and followed him to the other side of the warehouse.

Josie didn't waste anytime. Heart pounding, she quickly tried the coffin closest to her. Locked. Must be Esther. The second one was Kol.

She took a quick intake of breath as she looked at the youngest Mikaelson brother. She couldn't describe the strange sensation she felt when she saw him. She didn't know why, but she reached out and brushed a stray hair away from his forehead. She gasped at the tingling sensation she felt where she'd touched his skin.

She pulled her hand away abruptly and closed the coffin. What the hell was that?

She forced herself to focus on the task at hand. She moved quickly to the next coffin and was relieved to see it was Elijah. She reached out and held the handle of the dagger. Did she dare? She wanted Elijah back so badly. It was her fault he was in this coffin. She missed him. She owed him, really. She couldn't just let him lie there forever. And he could help. Help her escape Klaus. What was the point of this whole summer if not to get a chance to undagger him?

But what would Klaus think? Do? She clenched her jaw. Screw Klaus. He kidnapped her, then had the audacity to shake his hand in fury at those that would rescue her, as if her rightful place was a servant by his side. All the lives lost this summer, all the blood that was on her hands. It had to mean something.

She felt a strong burst of anger flow through her and yanked the dagger out of Elijah's chest. She laid the dagger carefully beside Elijah and closed the coffin. She backed away and sat down on a nearby box, schooling her features in a bored expression.

A minute later, Klaus walked in.

"Where are Rebekah and Stefan?" he asked.

Josie shrugged. "Stefan got hungry or something."

"Rebekah, Stefan!" he called.

The two vampires appeared in front of him.

"We're leaving," said Klaus.

Rebekah shook her head. "Something's wrong. He was asking about Mikael. He's not with us, Nik. I can sense it."

"She's wrong," said Stefan.

Josie frowned. "Klaus…"

Klaus looked at Josie. "I suppose you have no idea what she's talking about."

Josie crossed her arms. "You think he'd tell me? He hasn't said a word to me about anything."

"Well there's an easy way to solve this," said Klaus, zooming in front of Stefan.

Klaus looked Stefan in the eye and compelled him. "Why were you asking about Mikael?"

"I want to find a way to kill you, so Josie and I can be free," answered Stefan.

Klaus looked murderous as Stefan struggled to get away from him.

"Did you talk to Josie about Mikael?" compelled Klaus.

"No," answered Stefan.

"Perhaps our time together has come to an end," said Klaus, reaching up to grab for Stefan's heart.

"Nik, please!" begged Rebekah.

"He just wanted his freedom back!" exclaimed Josie.

Klaus squeezed Stefan's neck harder.

"I suppose that's true," said Klaus, though his hand still hovered above the struggling Stefan's heart. "But I can't have a wild card going back to Mystic Falls."

Klaus looked Stefan in the eye and compelled him. "Stop struggling."

Stefan ceased his actions immediately.

Klaus continued. "You will do exactly as I say, when I say it. You will not run or hide, you will simply just obey."

Klaus looked furious as he released Stefan. Stefan, for his part, just stood there, horrified. Now under Klaus' complete control.

"I didn't want to have to do that," said Klaus. "All I wanted was your allegiance. Your friendship."

He almost looked sad as he said it, but Josie must have imagined that because the next moment he snapped Stefan's neck.

"Guess I'm still a bit upset," said Klaus, coolly. "Get the wolf, will you Rebekah?"

Klaus picked up Stefan's body and they headed out of the warehouse.

Josie glanced at Elijah's coffin one more time before they left, wondering how long it would take for him to wake up. She wasn't sure when she'd see him again or when he would show up. They were flying to Mystic Falls while the coffins would be following in a truck. That was the problem with a lot of private jets, they had oddly small cargo spaces.

As they pulled out of the warehouse parking lot, she reflected on the crazy turn this day had taken. They were on their way back to Mystic Falls to make Mason a hybrid, Katherine and Damon were after Mikael, her mystery lady had a name, Stefan was Klaus' bitch and she had felt some weird sensation at seeing Kol Mikaelson. Not to mention Elijah would be awake soon. Josie wondered what Klaus would do when he found out what she had done.

 **A/N: I agree about no love triangle. I did not like the Elena/Salvatores triangle. I swear they ruined Elena's character with it.**


	38. The Reckoning (Part One)

They arrived in Mystic Falls the next afternoon, Mason having woken up in transition that morning. Klaus amused himself during the trip by continually snapping Stefan's neck every time he stirred. Rebekah and Josie just rolled their eyes at his temper.

"He was like that even as a human," said Rebekah as they watched Klaus snap Stefan's neck for the tenth time that day.

They were sitting on the airplane, drinking champagne.

"Is it just a werewolf thing or…?" asked Josie as Klaus stalked over to the front of the plane to check on the pilots.

"I don't know. It was always worse around the full moon," offered Rebekah.

Josie nodded. "My ex was the same way."

"Mason's nephew?" asked Rebekah, glancing over at Mason, who was sitting in a seat a few rows back.

"Yeah."

Josie smiled when Rebekah's gaze lingered on Mason.

"He's a nice guy," Josie offered.

Rebekah sighed. "I wouldn't get too attached. Knowing my brother I doubt he'll live past his transition."

"I'm going to try and convince him otherwise."

"If anyone can convince my bastard brother to spare him, it'd be you."

Josie frowned. "I was actually thinking you might try if I fail? You're his baby sister. Half the time I ask him to spare someone, he refuses."

"Which means half the time he does," countered Rebekah. "Trust me, that's 50 percent more than most people."

Josie shrugged. "I can be persuasive at times."

Rebekah looked at her with an odd expression. "You really don't see it, do you?"

"See what?"

Rebekah opened her mouth to reply when Klaus walked in.

"How unforgiving my brother is," she said. "The wolf's as good as dead."

Josie was sure that's not what Rebekah was going to say, but didn't push it. It was probably just another veiled innuendo about her and Klaus. Which was ridiculous. Josie was done denying there was a certain… attraction, but other than that, she was just the asset to his emperor.

Klaus and Josie were alone in the back of a chauffeur-driven car on the way to Mystic Falls when she broached the subject of Mason's fate.

"You said he was going to be the guinea pig," said Josie.

"I did," confirmed Klaus. "You're wondering my plans beyond that?"

Josie nodded.

"I need loyal soldiers, Josie," said Klaus.

Josie frowned. "He will be loyal."

"How can you be sure?"

Did Klaus not know about the sire bond? She didn't really want to tell him, but if it kept Mason alive…

"Because he'll be sired to you. All your hybrids will."

"Really?" smiled Klaus.

"Don't abuse your power!" warned Josie, looking warily at Klaus' self-satisfied grin. "Because there's a way to break the bond. In fact, I was thinking maybe you should offer werewolves a choice. You know some might actually want…"

"How do you break the bond?" Klaus cut in.

Josie frowned. "You don't want to hear my democratic, benevolent plan for world domination?"

"Later, my dear. Now, how can they break the bond?"

Josie explained they were sired to due gratefulness of not needing to turn and breaking the bond required turning over and over until there was no pain and they were no longer grateful.

"Interesting," said Klaus thoughtfully.

"So you should be fair in your leadership," said Josie. "Otherwise you'll lose them. Werewolves are stubborn, prideful. You need to treat them well. Not as slaves or servants."

Klaus didn't reply, but appeared to be thinking over her words. She remembered what had happened to the unsired hybrids and Carol Lockwood and wanted to avoid that if possible. Klaus was going to make hybrids either way. If he treated them well, rather than taking them for granted like he did in the original storyline, maybe it could end better for everyone.

For Josie, the closer they got to Mystic Falls, the more nervous she became. Klaus had confiscated her phone the previous night, so she wasn't tempted to warn anyone in Mystic Falls.

"What happens when we get there?" asked Josie, when she saw the sign appear for a neighboring town.

"We find Elena, get Mason through his transition, then go find more werewolves," answered Klaus.

"Are you planning on taking Elena or just her blood?"

"You know the answer to that."

"You only need her blood," argued Josie. "Elena will be safe in Mystic Falls. Don't take her out of her life."

"I'd had thought you'd be grateful for the companionship, love."

Josie shook her head. "Elena doesn't deserve this."

"And you do?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Josie just looked down, not saying anything.

"You really think you do, don't you?" he asked, a little amazed.

How could she answer that? Because she used her visions to protect the people she cared about and let other people die in the process? Because her hands were drenched in the blood of 150 werewolves and countless others? Sometimes she really did think she deserved to be stuck at Klaus' mercy. That this was her punishment for the choices she'd made.

She didn't say anything to Klaus though, just looked out the window and thankfully, he didn't press her further.

When they arrived in Mystic Falls, they didn't find anyone in the Gilbert House. No one was at the Grill. Klaus was getting really frustrated until he overheard some students talking about Senior Prank Night at the high school.

So, Klaus, Mason, Josie and Rebekah walked into the school and found an empty classroom. It didn't take long for Klaus to return with Elena in tow.

Elena ran over to Josie and enveloped her in a big hug as soon as she was free of Klaus.

"Oh god, Josie," she said, squeezing Josie hard. "Are you okay?"

Josie squeezed back. It was good to be home.

"I'm fine," she said. "And I'm sorry Elena."

"Right, well, as touching as this little reunion is, down to business," said Klaus, grabbing Elena. "I'm going to be needing a donation, I'm afraid."

He held up Elena's arm and bit into it, ignoring her cry of pain.

Then he dragged Elena over to Mason and said, "Drink."

Mason hesitated.

"Come on," said Klaus, pushing Elena's arm in Mason's face. "Drink!"

Mason looked like he was really trying to control himself, but even in-transition vampires have a hard time resisting blood, so it didn't take long before Mason dove forward and began drinking blood from Elena's arm.

"That's enough," said Klaus, shoving Mason off and releasing Elena.

"Elena, what's going on here?" asked Bonnie, who had just walked in. "Josie, you're back!"

Bonnie ran over and examined the wound on Elena's arm.

"What's going on?" she repeated.

Josie explained how Elena's blood was the key to making hybrids.

"Case in point," said Josie, gesturing at Mason.

Mason was groaning on the ground as he went through his transition. A few more seconds and his eyes glowed with that hybrid tinge and his fangs descended.

"I'd call that a successful test," said Klaus, smiling. "How do you feel?"

"I feel great," smiled Mason. "Hungry."

"Rebekah, why don't you take him and find him something to eat?" suggested Klaus.

Rebekah eyed Mason appreciatively, grabbed his arm and led him out of the classroom.

"Don't kill anyone!" yelled Josie, though she was probably just wasting her breath. "Please…"

"Come along now," said Klaus, grabbing Elena who tried to fight him off. "Josie."

"No, you're not taking them!" shouted Bonnie.

Bonnie held her hand aloft, trying to subdue Klaus through magic, but she only succeeded in pissing him off.

"I've had my bloody fill of witches for one summer," growled Klaus, pushing her against the wall.

"Klaus!" exclaimed Josie.

Klaus sighed and released Bonnie. Then he grabbed Elena, much more roughly this time, so she cried out, and made to leave. He was stopped by Stefan, who threw him off Elena.

"Stop, Stefan!" commanded Klaus.

Stefan immediately stilled, though it was clear he was straining to move and help Elena.

"What did you do to him?" asked Elena, helping Bonnie up and putting a protective arm around Josie.

"He's compelled to do whatever Klaus says," explained Josie.

"Your boyfriend was plotting my death, sweetheart," said Klaus. "He's lucky his head's still attached to his body."

"So you made him kill all those people this summer?" asked Elena in disgust.

Klaus smiled. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. I compelled him yesterday. This summer was all him. I may have given him a little nudge, of course."

Elena shook her head. "You made him a monster."

"I just invited him to the party," countered Klaus. "He's the one dancing on the table. Isn't that right, Stefan?"

Stefan just stayed silent.

"Don't be a jerk, Klaus," said Josie.

"I'm just trying to enlighten, love," said Klaus. He turned to Elena. "The real problem is you don't know the man you fell in love with." He turned to Stefan. "Be honest now. How many people did you kill this summer, at a guess?"

"Around 40," answered Stefan.

"How many did you enjoy?"

"All of them."

Elena and Bonnie looked shocked.

"You see," said Klaus, smiling. "Now, Stefan. Which one of this lot's blood would you like the most? Elena, right? I might let you have just a little."

"Josie's," answered Stefan, still compelled to tell the truth. "There was something different about her blood when I fed on her. Something I liked."

Josie's eyes went wide and Elena looked horrified that Stefan had fed on Josie.

Klaus looked annoyed. "We had this conversation, Stefan."

"Just stop it, Klaus," said Josie, getting in front of him. "You made your point. Stefan's a blood junkie. Can we just go?"

Klaus looked at her with the same expression he had when dealing with those two guys in the bar near the motel. He wasn't done making his point.

"Stefan, why don't you take a bite out of the witch?" said Klaus.

"Klaus, no!" exclaimed Josie.

Stefan was clearly trying to control himself as Bonnie was his friend and Elena was standing right there.

Klaus looked surprised as his self-restraint. "Impressive… don't want to feed on your friend? Lose yourself in front of your girl?"

Josie knew what Klaus was going to do before he even said the words. Maybe because she had seen him do it to Lexi or maybe because, sometimes, no matter what she changed, it seemed like some things were just going to happen.

The three girls could only watch as Klaus forced Stefan to turn off his humanity.

The result was immediate. Stefan sped towards Bonnie and bit her. Josie knew from this summer that Stefan had a hard time controlling himself when his humanity was on. Now, there was no hope. This was clearly Stefan's punishment for his betrayal.

"Klaus!" she cried, trying to pull Stefan off Bonnie.

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "I said a bite. He can stop anytime he wants."

Cursing Klaus, Josie quickly took out the knife from her purse, cut her arm and shoved it in Stefan's face. Stefan immediately dropped Bonnie and lunged for Josie. He managed to get his teeth into her for a split second before he was torn away by Klaus, who threw him across the room.

"What is wrong with you?" shouted Klaus, grabbing Josie.

"He was going to kill Bonnie!" she exclaimed.

"She was far from dead," said Klaus, dismissively.

Josie rolled her eyes. "You are unbelievable."

Klaus didn't respond, just bit into his wrist with the intention of healing her.

"No, I'm fine," said Josie, pushing his arm away.

The cut on her arm wasn't life threatening after all. She was too angry to let him heal her.

"I don't recall you having a choice," Klaus said angrily as his wounds sealed themselves.

He was clearly pissed that she'd intervened in the first place. He bit into his wrist again and grabbed her with his other hand.

"Klaus, no," she said, trying to push him away.

"How dare you," came a voice from the doorway of the classroom.

Everyone whipped their heads around to see Elijah standing there. Josie realized how this must look. Klaus, with a bloody mouth, standing over her with a savage bite mark on her arm.

"Brother," breathed Klaus, shocked to see Elijah awake.

Elijah didn't waste any time on pleasantries. He sped over to Klaus and grabbed him, sending them both hurtling through the window of the classroom.

"So, I woke Elijah," explained Josie, walking over to Bonnie and Elena. "You alright?" she asked Bonnie.

Bonnie nodded, holding a towel to her neck. "I'll be okay."

"I'm so sorry, you guys," said Josie as she and Elena helped Bonnie to her feet.

There was a crash from outside and the three girls looked out the window to see Klaus and Elijah pummeling each other.

"Guess they're working out their issues," said Josie, frowning.

"Makes me grateful I'm an only child," said Bonnie, shaking her head.

They watched as the blurs that were Klaus and Elijah left the area outside the classroom and zoomed around the corner.

"Come on," said Elena, turning away from the window. "We should find a first aid kit."

"Why would you want to do that?" asked Stefan, who was standing in front of the three girls all of a sudden. "Waste all that blood?"

All three girls tensed.

"Klaus doesn't want you to hurt us," said Josie, taking an unconscious step back.

Stefan shrugged. "Klaus didn't give me a direct order. As far as I'm concerned, if I can't kill him, killing his precious Oracle is the next best thing."

"Stefan, no!" exclaimed Elena. "This isn't you."

Stefan just growled and lunged for Josie. She felt pain explode on her neck as Stefan bit her. She screamed and tried to push him away, but his iron grip didn't falter.

A few seconds passed and Stefan's grip suddenly lessened. He grabbed his head in pain and Josie realized that Bonnie was using her anti-vampire spell on him. It was much more effective than it had been against Klaus. But Bonnie was still hurt and it was a spell that had to be continuously maintained to work.

Josie scrambled for her purse and found the stake within. She used all her strength to stab Stefan in the gut. He howled in pain.

"Run!" yelled Josie.

The three girls sprinted out of the classroom and down the hallway. It wasn't long before they ran into a bunch of students. Josie said the first thing that came to mind.

"There's a gunman," she said. "Get out of here!"

The students dropped what they were doing and ran.

"We have to find Elijah or Klaus," said Josie, trying to ignore the intense pain of her still-bleeding neck. "I'll go out the gym entrance, you guys try the front."

"I'm not leaving you, Jo!" exclaimed Elena.

Josie rolled her eyes. "If we split up, we're more likely to find them. They all have vampire speed. Once Stefan heals, it won't matter."

"You guys go to the gym," said Bonnie. "I'll take the front."

Elena nodded, grabbed Josie and started running towards the gym. They had almost made it when they were cut off by Stefan.

"Two Gilbert girls for the price of one," said Stefan, veins appearing under his eyes. "His doppelganger and his Oracle."

"Stefan, no…" Elena began.

Stefan lunged for Elena this time. Josie tried in vain to get him off her, but without a weapon, it was useless. She hit him as hard as she could, but he just kept feeding.

"Help!" she screamed, continuing to beat on Stefan's back. "Help!"

Strong arms ripped Stefan away from Elena and threw him against a bank of lockers.

Josie cried out in relief.

"Elijah!"

Elijah caught Elena as she swayed wildly.

"There, my dear," said Elijah. "I've got you."

"Please help her," said Josie, nervously looking at Elena's bite mark.

Elijah nodded and bit his wrist, feeding Elena his blood. Elena started to cough, gagging a bit.

"You're alright," said Elijah, smiling down at her.

He helped Elena get to her feet.

"Jo, are you okay?" asked Elena, looking at Josie's own wound.

Josie nodded. "I'll live. How are you?"

"Much better," said Elena, smiling a little. "Thank you, Elijah."

Elijah sighed. "Don't thank me, Elena."

Josie frowned, knowing he must to referring to the fact that Klaus needed Elena's blood for his hybrids.

"Klaus told you," said Josie, rolling her eyes. "Where is that jerk?"

"You might want to keep your tongue in check considering this entire affair is your fault," growled Klaus from behind her.

Josie whipped around just in time to see Klaus snapping Stefan's neck for the 100th time that day.

"My fault?" exclaimed Josie, backing away from Klaus.

"You saw fit to remove that dagger from my brother's chest without so much as an explanation. Is it any wonder he came upon us and assumed the worst?"

"Yeah, because a thousand years of knowing you wouldn't make him assume the worst," Josie shot back.

Despite her confident words, her heart was pounding in her chest. What was he going to do to her for waking Elijah? He was just standing there.

"Elijah, would you take my doppelganger outside? There's an ambulance and a nurse waiting. I'd like to speak to Josie."

"She's in no condition to give blood, Klaus," frowned Josie.

"Let the nurse be the judge of that," snapped Klaus, stepping closer. "Elijah?"

Josie gasped. "You can't leave me with him, Elijah."

"Stay away from my sister, Klaus," said Elena, angrily.

"Niklaus gave me his word he would not harm you for awakening me," said Elijah.

"And you believed him?" asked Josie, incredulously.

"Oddly enough, I do," he answered, looking at Klaus with a strange expression.

"I won't be far away, my dear," said Elijah, smiling at Josie. "It is good to see you. And thank you."

With that, Elijah disappeared with Elena, leaving Josie alone with Klaus.

"First things first," he said, biting his wrist and shoving it in her mouth.

She swallowed a few sips before pushing his arm away. The wounds on her neck and arm sealed themselves.

Once done, Klaus didn't waste any more time. Before she knew it, the world was a blur and a minute later, she was in a patch of woods. She wiggled out of his arms and stumbled back, away from him.

"What are you doing?" she asked, eyeing him warily.

He looked at her with an unreadable expression.

"Just wanted some privacy, love."

"Why?" asked Josie, trying to calm her breathing. "What are you going to do to me?"

 **A/N: Sorry for the confusing note about love triangles. I meant that I would not put Josie in a triangle (or any other shape) because I didn't like the Elena/Salvatore triangle in canon. The Elena/Salvatore triangle is already happening in this story, as I haven't done anything to prevent it.**

 **I am tempted to change it as I did actually like Elena's character in the first few seasons, but after the tug-of-war she went through with the Salvatores, plus her becoming a vampire, I wasn't really a fan of her anymore and I think there may be an opportunity to fix that here…**


	39. The Reckoning (Part Two)

"Do to you?" he repeated. "What do you think is a fitting punishment? I could break out that leash."

Josie felt her temper flare at his threat. Hadn't she sworn she was done being afraid of him?

"I doubt I'd notice the difference."

Klaus growled and surged forward, grabbing her by the shoulders and slamming her back against a tree.

"I treated you with respect, tolerated your reckless behavior and your disdain, and this is how you repay me?" he shouted in her face.

"You want credit for not being an asshole while you kept me prisoner?" she screamed. "You only did it so I would cooperate. So I would keep feeding you information from my visions."

"I have other methods of making you cooperate, my dear. Ones that require far less effort on my part."

Josie stiffened, her mind wandering to all the possibilities of what those other methods could be. She cursed the fact that her white oak stake was somewhere in the school right now, wherever Stefan had discarded it after she'd stabbed him.

"Only you would think being decent is more effort than torturing information out of someone."

"It is when the result is your treachery," growled Klaus.

He still held her firm against the tree, his angry face in hers.

"Treachery? You've got to be joking. I never swore any allegiance to you. You kidnapped me! Made me your prisoner. Your walking, talking vision machine. Why do you think I undaggered Elijah?"

Klaus blinked, his face losing some of its anger.

"You wanted your freedom," he breathed, stepping back a bit.

"I wanted my friend back," said Josie. "It was my fault he was daggered. But yeah, I…" She sighed, her anger dissipating along with his. "I can't live like this, Klaus. I can't be your prisoner for the rest of my life. I refuse to live my life on a leash. Even an invisible one."

She couldn't take it if the rest of her life was like this awful summer. How could she, when all her visions did was cause death and misery?

"Do you find my company so intolerable?" he asked, his voice so low she could barely hear him.

"Your company?" repeated Josie. "It's not… I've killed so many people this summer, Klaus," she said, her voice choking on her words. "People with families, friends."

It was the first time she'd said anything like that aloud. She'd kept it all bottled up. She'd only cried once the entire summer- after Dan Russell held her in his RV, telling her everything she'd been thinking about herself. What a horrible person she was. That she was no better than Klaus.

Klaus frowned. "You didn't kill anyone, love."

"Yes I did!" she fairly screamed, now unable to hold back her tears. "I told you what I saw. Knowing what you'd do."

She just stood there, tears streaming down her face. Now that the floodgates had opened, it was impossible to stop.

"You talk as if I gave you a choice," said Klaus, his voice softening a bit.

"There's always a choice!" she sobbed, looking down. "I could have fought you. Resisted you. Instead, I drank and ate sushi and went shopping in little Italian towns…"

She just cried harder. What was wrong with her? All summer she'd held it together. Was is being back here? Seeing Elena. Wondering what she would think of what Josie had done?

"Is that why you think you deserve this?" he asked quietly.

Josie didn't reply, just looked down, tears streaming down her face.

"Look at me," said Klaus.

Josie looked at him through the blur that was her vision.

He looked into her eyes. "All those people. Those werewolves. I killed them. Do you understand?"

Josie frowned. What was his angle? Then she realized.

"I know what you're doing," she said, shaking her head. "Just stop."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "What am I doing then?"

"You think if you make me feel less guilty that I'll continue being your cooperative Oracle." She scoffed. "It doesn't matter. I'll never be okay being your servant."

Klaus looked furious. "My servant? You…"

He gave a shout of anger, sped over to a tree and ripped it roughly from the ground.

Josie frowned at his violence. Did he seriously think she was ever going to just accept being his prisoner?

He turned toward her with eyes of fury.

"You think I'd indulge a servant in an evening of shopping along Michigan Avenue? Tolerate the human fascination with national holidays for some servant? I would never…"

Klaus abruptly stopped his tirade and turned back towards the direction of the school.

A second later, Elijah appeared with Damon Salvatore in his grasp.

"We have a problem," said Elijah, throwing Damon to the ground. "Speak."

"Hey Josie, welcome back. Good work waking Elijah," Damon said sarcastically. "And telling them about Elena's blood."

Josie narrowed her eyes. "Was I just supposed to let Mason die?"

Damon coughed. "Still Team Wolf, huh?"

"Enough!" shouted Klaus.

Damon turned toward Klaus.

"Katherine and I found Mikael," said Damon, smirking.

Klaus' eyes widened and he sped forward, grabbing Damon by the neck and holding him up.

"You're bluffing," said Klaus.

"He knows you're here," said Damon, straining to get the words out. "Consider it our leverage."

Klaus growled and snapped Damon's neck.

"If Mikael is on his way, we need to leave immediately," said Klaus, moving to grab Josie.

"Wait!" said Josie. "I can help you fight him."

"You know who Mikael is?" asked Klaus.

Josie nodded. "Yes. I had a vision about him. A long time ago. I was hoping he'd never wake up, but I guess Damon and Katherine found him."

She hated lying, but this could mean her freedom. She had to risk it. Plus, Mikael had to die anyway, with the bloodline issue.

"How do you propose we fight him?" asked Elijah.

"We get his white oak stake and kill him with it," answered Josie. "With the information from my vision, I'm sure we can do it."

It was easy to feel confident. After all, Klaus had managed it by himself in the original storyline.

Klaus and Elijah were silent for a moment, thinking over her words.

"Aren't you tired of running?" asked Josie, trying to convince them. "Don't you want to end this, once and for all?"

It was Klaus who spoke first.

"We'll need more hybrids."

Josie nodded and cleared her throat. "If I do this. Help you defeat Mikael, work against my friends, I want something in return."

Klaus tilted his head. "Your freedom."

Josie nodded. "You've been running from him for a thousand years, Klaus. I think it's a fair trade. My freedom for yours."

Klaus clenched his jaw, but she could tell he was thinking about it.

Elijah cleared his throat. "You must realize that this… situation with Josie cannot continue, Niklaus."

Josie bit her lip, waiting on Klaus' answer with bated breath.

"If you help us to kill Mikael, I will grant you your freedom," said Klaus, finally. "On one condition."

Josie frowned. "What's that?"

"That you swear you will never use your visions against me or my family."

Josie breathed a sigh of relief. That wasn't so bad.

"Agreed," said Josie.

Josie proceeded to tell them all she could remember about Mikael's return. Now that Elijah was also awake, she was sure they would win.

"So he's probably not coming right this second," concluded Josie. "Though, I'm not exactly sure when."

It had been at some dance, if she recalled. Homecoming maybe? She'd been in this world for over a year now and her memory of the storyline was definitely starting to fade.

"I still need to begin finding werewolves immediately," said Klaus.

"But, I can stay in Mystic Falls for now, right?" asked Josie. "I promise to call you with any visions of werewolves I get."

Klaus and Elijah exchanged a look.

"What?" asked Josie, confused.

"I'm afraid that may not be the best option," said Elijah, hesitantly. "Mikael has a habit of killing those closest to Niklaus. Using them as bait or simply to punish him."

"You want me to leave with you again," said Josie, disappointed.

Though she did remember that horrible scene from the Opera House in New Orleans. She definitely didn't want to end up like one of the people up on stage.

"It's for your safety, love," said Klaus. "Between Mikael and those that covet an Oracle, it's best if you stay with me for now."

Josie was crushed. She'd really been hoping he would leave her behind, like he did with Stefan and Elena.

"What about Elena?" asked Josie.

"I will remain here to watch her," said Elijah. He paused. "I expect we will wake the others as soon as Mikael is dead."

Klaus nodded. "Of course, Brother."

"I should get back to Elena," said Elijah.

"How is she?" asked Josie, biting her lip.

She knew that, in the grand scheme of things, Klaus taking Elena's blood wasn't so evil or nefarious, but she still didn't like the idea.

"She's fine," said Elijah. "They had nearly gotten the limit when I left. I will not allow you to take more than is safe," he warned, turning to Klaus.

Klaus didn't look happy, but nodded in assent.

"We'll be along in a minute," said Josie, looking at Klaus.

Elijah disappeared and Josie turned to Klaus.

"Thank you," she said. "It means the world."

It was the truth. She still almost couldn't believe that he'd agreed to let her go. She was beyond grateful though. Maybe Klaus was not without some redeeming qualities.

"I doubt Chicago would be your only rescue attempt."

"Yeah, probably not." She paused. "For what it's worth, I appreciate that you didn't go the torture route," said Josie with a small smile.

Klaus looked into her eyes again. "I meant what I said, my dear. I killed those people. You've no reason to feel guilt about anything that happened this summer."

Josie tilted her head. Had he really not said that as a manipulation? Just because he felt it was true and it might make her feel better?

She must have had an odd expression on her face, because he asked, "Something wrong?"

"You just… confuse me," she said. "How can you kill those people and flip Stefan's humanity switch and then…"

"Treat you with some measure of benevolence?" he finished.

Josie nodded.

"I would have thought that was obvious, love," he sighed. "Was obvious to Rebekah the second I undaggered her." He paused, staring intently at her. "I fancy you. You're beautiful and you're cunning. You're not afraid to take risks to get what you want. You made a formidable enemy and have become a potent ally. And I… very much enjoy your company."

Josie looked into his eyes and something… shifted. She saw Klaus this summer. Not just as the hybrid who'd taken her prisoner. She saw him- Klaus, who took her to a jazz club on her birthday and willingly sat alone at the bar while she celebrated with a group of makeshift friends. Klaus, who rescued her from Matteo and refused to take advantage of her in that club in Italy. Klaus, who had spared people just because she'd asked, taken her places she'd wanted to go, freely told her personal details of his history, agreed to set her free…

"You're not so bad yourself," she said, smiling slightly. "When you're not being a murderous, vindictive jerk."

Klaus just smiled. "I am sorry you cannot remain here."

"And I'm sorry you have an asshole of a father who's hunted you for a thousand years," said Josie.

"You do know who Mikael is," said Klaus, shaking his head.

Josie nodded. "I didn't want to say anything in front of Elijah, but I saw what he was like. With you, especially."

"His opinion of me ceased to matter long ago," said Klaus with a cool expression.

Josie sighed, knowing it was a lie. That Mikael's treatment of him still hurt.

She tried for a smile and gave Klaus a hug. He tensed when she wrapped her arms around him, but didn't push her away. She knew he wasn't the hugging type, but didn't care. The look on his face when Damon mentioned Mikael had been heartbreaking. She couldn't imagine wounds so deep a thousand years couldn't fix them.

All of a sudden, he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. They stood there like that for a while, listening to the birds chirping in the forest as the sun began to set. Finally, he lifted his head, but didn't move away from her.

She wondered if he noticed something different in her gaze because he reached up to brush a strand of hair from her face. The moment seemed to stretched into an eternity as he looked into her eyes. When his gaze fell on her lips and he started to close the gap between them, she felt her breath quicken, her heart pound in her chest. She knew this probably wasn't a good idea, but for the life of her couldn't force herself to pull away.

A groan to the side distracted them both.

Crap, Damon! She'd forgotten all about him. Klaus looked annoyed and blurred over to Damon, snapping his neck for a second time.

Josie bit her lip, wondering if she was grateful or annoyed that the moment had been broken.

"I guess we should probably get back," said Josie, awkwardly.

Klaus nodded.

"Can I… Do we have time for me to stop at home?" she asked. "For just an hour or two? I'd really like to see Jenna and Jeremy."

"We need to see Elena safely home," said Klaus. "An hour's visit perhaps? I want to put some distance between us and Mystic Falls tonight."

Josie smiled. "Thank you."

He bent down to pick her up and sped her back to the school parking lot. Elena was already up and walking around, a bottle of juice in her hand.

Josie ran over to Elena and gave her a hug.

"Are you okay?" Josie asked, looking Elena up and down.

Elena nodded. "I'm okay. Elijah made sure they only took what was safe." She eyed Klaus warily. "Though they'd been compelled to take more."

"Glad someone's happy I woke Elijah," grumbled Josie.

Stefan walked out of the school at that moment. Klaus quickly blurred over to him and compelled him to protect Elena and never harm Josie. Then Klaus snapped his neck one more time. Josie rolled her eyes.

"Right," said Klaus, returning to stand beside Josie. "Elijah, would you find Rebekah? I'll see to Elena and Josie."

Josie went up to Elijah and gave him a big hug.

"It's so good to see you," she said, squeezing him.

"You as well, my dear," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "Next time I hope our visit needn't be so brief."

"What's going on, Jo?" asked Elena, clearly not happy that Elijah was leaving them alone with Klaus. "Where are we going?"

"To the Gilbert residence," answered Klaus. "You're to stay in Mystic Falls under Stefan and Elijah's protection."

"And what about my sister? You're not taking her away again," said Elena, angrily.

"Klaus and I have agreed that I'll help him turn his first pack of hybrids," said Josie. "Then he's agreed to let me come back here."

She hated lying to Elena, but it had to be this way. She couldn't tell everyone about the bloodline issue. If Klaus knew about it, who knows if he'd agree to give her freedom to her, knowing she'd want to kill Mikael regardless of their deal.

Elena narrowed her eyes at Klaus. "You trust him to keep his word?"

"Niklaus will keep his word," said Elijah, releasing Josie. "I'll see to it."

"Come along, now," said Klaus, gesturing towards his car.

Elena clearly didn't want to go with him, but dutifully followed him into the car and sat in the back with Josie. They rode in silence to the Gilbert House, but Elena was clutching Josie's hand the entire way.

When they pulled up to the familiar house, Josie couldn't wipe the grin off her face. It had been so long.

"One hour," said Klaus with a dangerous edge to his voice.

Josie just nodded and she and Elena walked up to the house. The door opened before they had even gotten up the porch steps.

"Josie!"

Jeremy ran down the steps and enveloped her in a giant hug. Jenna clambered down the steps soon after and wrapped her arms around the two of them. Alaric watched from the porch, smiling.

"Come on, I ordered pizza," said Jenna, as they walked up the steps to the house.

Josie chanced a glance back at the curb and saw that Klaus' car was gone. No doubt he was nearby, but she appreciated the attempt at privacy.

The hour passed a lot faster than Josie would have liked, but they told her everything that had happened over the summer and she told them a little of what she'd been doing (though she left out all the gory details).

"And then once I had that vision of Elena and he killed Mason, I knew I had to tell him the truth," said Josie, looking down at her half-finished slice of pizza.

"You did the right thing, Jo," said Elena, taking her hand and squeezing it.

"The important thing is you're back," said Jeremy, smiling. "Just in time for school too."

Josie bit her lip. "Yeah, so I'm actually leaving in like 5 minutes. Not for long! Klaus agreed to let me come back once he's made more hybrids."

"You're not leaving here again," said Alaric, firmly.

Josie sighed. "He hasn't hurt me or anything. It's just for a little while longer, then I'm done. No more working for him."

"If you think we're going to let that psycho take you again…" Jeremy started, looking furious.

"Please don't do this you guys," sighed Josie, though she understood their position. "Please don't make this harder than it already is. I will be back. I promise."

"Elijah promised to make sure Klaus kept his word," offered Elena.

Alaric, Jenna and Jeremy still didn't look happy, but didn't argue the point anymore.

When Alaric got up to clear the table, Josie followed him into the kitchen. She turned on the faucet and motioned for him to be quiet.

"Alaric, I need you to do a favor for me," she said. "There's a stake. I stabbed Stefan with it at the school tonight. I need you to get it."

Alaric frowned. "Josie, I have plenty of stakes, if you need one…"

Josie shook her head. "This is a special stake. It belonged to a famous hunter. I, uh, picked it up on my travels this summer. Klaus won't be pleased to know I lost it. Can you make sure to get it?"

Alaric looked suspicous, but agreed after she told him where she thought he could find it.

She felt bad for lying, but still wasn't sure when to reveal the white oak stake/bloodline secret. At least not until Mikael was dead and she'd won her freedom. And certainly not before she was back in Mystic Falls permanently. She remembered how the Scoobies had killed Kol, even knowing the bloodline issue, dooming all his various descendants around the world to die without a moment's thought. Yeah, she needed to treat the information carefully.

The doorbell rang just as Alaric and Josie walked back into the living room. Everyone tensed, but it was Alaric who got up.

"Stay here," he ordered.

Josie rolled her eyes and got up, following him to the door.

"Can I help you?" asked Alaric, eyes narrowed at Klaus.

"Ready, my dear?" Klaus looked at Josie, ignoring Alaric's hostile gaze completely.

Josie nodded and made to move out the door, but Alaric blocked her way with a strong arm.

"Don't make me regret allowing this little reunion," growled Klaus dangerously.

Alaric's look of surprise was clear. He obviously didn't realize that it was Klaus that had allowed Josie to spend this time with her family.

"If you hurt her…" warned Alaric.

"You'll do absolutely nothing," finished Klaus.

"He hasn't hurt me all summer," said Josie with a roll of her eyes. "He's not going to start now. I'm coming back. Don't worry."

She pushed past Alaric and stepped over the threshold.

"I'll see you guys soon," she said, looking past Alaric to Jeremy, Jenna and Elena.

Then she turned around, trying to blink back tears and headed to the curb where Klaus' car sat.

 **A/N: I considered leaving Josie in Mystic Falls, but that didn't seem realistic, given her history and with Mikael on the horizon. I'll be using communication with Elijah to keep tabs on what's happening in Mystic Falls while Josie and Klaus are off making hybrids. I did think it might be interesting to imagine how the initial stages of Klaus' hybrid making went though.**

 **I hope the Gang's reactions to the Originals seem realistic. Because of Josie's interventions, Jenna and John never died, so basically Klaus' major crimes against them are the sacrifice ritual somewhat (though he spared all their family and friends and approved of the life-saving measures they performed for Elena) and taking Stefan and Josie. I think they'd still dislike him a lot, but maybe not quite as much as in canon because no one they care about died. And they like and trust Elijah a lot more because he never betrayed them and was instrumental in helping them work against Klaus.**


	40. Smells Like Teen Spirit

**A/N: I kept the episode title for this chapter, even though the events in Mystic Falls will only be mentioned in passing.**

It had been a week since they left Mystic Falls. A week since they had almost-kissed and he had said all those nice things and that he 'fancied her'. Whatever the hell that meant. But he hadn't brought it up again. She knew he was focused on making hybrids to combat Mikael, but she was starting to think maybe she had just imagined the whole thing. She told herself over and over again he was just giving words to the attraction they'd both been feeling for a while. Nothing more or less.

The problem was she couldn't stop thinking about it. She kept wondering what would have happened if Damon hadn't woken up at that moment. She thought about the dream Lexi had given her. Would the kiss be as good as it had been in her dream? What would his lips really feel like pressed against hers?

It didn't help that it felt like he was constantly touching her. Nothing inappropriate, of course. Just a light touch on the small of her back to guide her through the door of the hotel. A brief hand on her arm while they were talking over breakfast. Had he always done this or was she just noticing it more now?

Yet, it did feel like something had subtly changed in their relationship. They were still friendly with a side of banter, but they also talked about more serious subjects. He clearly respected her and didn't protest when she offered her opinion on topics like hybrid-managing, pack building, etc.

He treated her less like an asset needing protection and more like an equal (as equal as Klaus could manage with a human, of course). Even though she technically wouldn't get her freedom until Mikael was dead, she felt like she already had it.

So far, they had found three packless werewolves that Klaus had turned into hybrids. It had been fairly easy compared to the rest of the summer as Klaus had good information on them. He just hadn't bothered to find them earlier as they didn't have a pack and so he hadn't prioritized them.

Klaus had rejected Josie's idea of letting werewolves choose for themselves whether they wanted to turn, but had relented when she had asked he only turn childless wolves, so as not to force any parents to abandon their children.

Astonishingly, no one had died for the quest since they'd left Chicago and Josie had been feeling somewhat better since her meltdown on Senior Prank Night. Giving voice to the feelings she'd been having all summer had certainly helped her mental state.

Elijah had been keeping them informed of what was going on in Mystic Falls. He had been maintaining a reasonable distance from the Scooby gang, watching for signs of Mikael. He also told them that Rebekah had started attending Mystic Falls High and had been on a date with Mason Lockwood.

Klaus did not look happy that Rebekah was interested in his first hybrid, but he supposed it was preferable to Stefan. Elena was safe, as was the rest of Josie's family and friends.

Elijah had also been looking around for a house and said he had found something just on the outskirts of town. An old mansion with a large garden in the back. It needed a lot of work, but he assured Klaus it would suit their needs. After they hung up with Elijah (Josie had insisted Klaus put him on speaker phone), she asked him about it.

"You're buying a house in Mystic Falls?" asked Josie.

She knew he had done that at some point in the original storyline, but couldn't remember the reason, if they'd ever revealed it.

"It was our home once," said Klaus. "Back when we were human. Once Mikael is dead and we wake the others, I had hoped it could be our home once again."

Josie smiled. "Look at you all domestic," she teased.

Klaus shook his head and smiled. "Have you decided what you want to eat, love? Sushi again?"

They were sitting in the living room of the hotel suite in Kansas City. The three hybrids were staying in rooms down the hall, though they were probably out in the city at the moment. It was a Friday night, after all.

"I was thinking barbeque," said Josie, skimming through the local guidebook the hotel had provided. "It's what this place is famous for."

Klaus nodded his assent and Josie picked up the phone to have the concierge get them reservations.

An hour later they were sitting down at one of Kansas City's most famous rib joints. It wasn't really a restaurant per say, just a bunch of tables and chairs scattered around an open-air kitchen where they were roasting meat.

After they were served their ribs and beer, Klaus told her of the times he'd roasted wild boar after he and his brothers had returned from one their hunting trips.

"Have you ever been?" he asked.

"Me? Hunting? I've never even used a bow. I always wanted to learn though."

"I could teach you," he offered.

"I'd like that," smiled Josie.

It was weird. Making future plans with Klaus like they were friends taking about what to do this weekend. She blinked and realized that they were kind of friends. As close to friends as Klaus had at least.

"You should teach your hybrids too," said Josie.

Klaus nodded. "It would be sensible to educate them in basic combat training."

"Yeah," agreed Josie. "They need to get used to their new abilities. Test their limits. I would think basic combat training first, then you can help them figure out if they want to specialize in anything. Maybe some of them don't even want to fight and can do other things."

Klaus smiled and looked at her with a curious expression.

"What?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Nothing… Tell me, what do you think of the hybrids I've made so far?"

"I like Alice," said Josie. "She seems tough. Smart too. For James…"

They spent the rest of the meal talking about Klaus' hybrids and where they would be going next after Kansas City. When they returned to the suite, Josie fixed them drinks while Klaus went to the bathroom.

When he returned, he had a small wooden box in his hand.

"I have a gift for you," he said, smiling and handing her the box.

She took it and regarded it curiously.

"Just open it," he said, sitting down beside her on the couch.

She opened the box and inside was a beautiful necklace. It had a silver chain, from which hung a blue stone.

"It's beautiful," said Josie, despite her confusion. Why exactly was he giving her jewelry? "Thanks."

"It's not just for looks, love," said Klaus, chuckling. "It's for protection."

"Protection?" repeated Josie, looking at the necklace with more interest.

Klaus nodded. "The stone is blue kyanite. It boosts your natural resistance to magic. I've also had it spelled to stop a vampire from getting in your head and it has a boundary in it."

Josie was puzzled. "A boundary?"

"Once you return to Mystic Falls, the necklace will activate a boundary. A ten mile circle around your home. While you're wearing that necklace, no one can remove you from that space without your consent."

"So I can only leave the boundary if I want to?" she asked.

Klaus nodded. "To prevent you from being taken away against your will. By anyone."

The implication was clear. 'Anyone' included Klaus himself.

"Impressive," said Josie, regarding the necklace with awe. "Suppose a kidnapper could just yank it off, but still, useful."

Klaus shook his head. "It cannot be removed by anyone except the wearer."

"Wow," she said. "I… why give this to me?" She frowned. "Once Mikael's dead, my safety won't be your responsibility."

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Your visions are still a danger to me. I'd rather they not fall into the wrong hands."

Josie smiled. She wondered how much it had cost him. Both in financial and non-financial ways.

She didn't miss the gesture behind the necklace either. It would have been easier to just compel a bodyguard or two (or use a hybrid), the way he had all summer, but he knew how much she'd hated those bodyguards. This was obviously his attempt at non-invasive protection. Klaus could be thoughtful when he wanted to be.

"Thank you."

He smiled. "You're welcome. May I?" He held up the necklace.

She nodded and turned, so she was facing away from him. She held up her hair as he placed the necklace around her neck. She tried to suppress the shiver that ran down her spine when his fingers touched the back of her neck. His touch lingered longer than was slightly necessary, but he pulled away soon and she let her hair cascade down her back again.

She turned around to face him again and found he hadn't moved back to his original position. He was close enough that their legs were touching. She felt her heart rate quicken, just like it had all week, every time he 'casually' touched her.

"It looks lovely on you," said Klaus, his voice a whisper.

Josie smiled, trying to calm her heart.

"Good thing, since apparently I'm going to be wearing it with everything," she said, fingering the stone.

She looked up and saw he was looking at where her hand was playing with the necklace as it rested against her chest.

"Klaus?" she said, when he didn't respond.

When he looked up again, his eyes were darker than normal. She felt her heart rate tick up yet again and her gaze strayed to his lips, thinking of their almost-kiss a week ago. His gaze was intense, but tentative, almost as if he was trying to make a decision.

All of a sudden, he pulled her to him roughly, his lips crashing into hers. His lips felt soft against her, but his kisses were hungry and demanding and she returned them eagerly. He pulled her onto his lap, grabbing her hips roughly and grounding his hardening erection into her core as she straddled him on the couch.

After a few minutes, he broke away from her and trailed his lips down her jawline to her neck. He nipped her with blunt teeth as he continued to push his erection against the apex of her spread legs.

"We… we shouldn't," she said, biting her lip as she tried to suppress a moan.

This was crazy. This was Klaus. But it had been so long and she hadn't been able to stop thinking about this all week. How it would be.

"Tell me to stop," he whispered into her neck, continuing to place open-mouthed kisses there.

She lifted her hips slightly, only to bring them down again, causing extra friction between them.

"I.. I..," she sighed, not stopping the movement of her hips.

She tried to form the words, she really did. But they died on her lips.

One time couldn't hurt, right? Just to get him out of her system.

He reached down, grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head, tossing it aside. He grabbed her, stood up, and sped them into his bedroom, throwing her roughly onto the bed. He was on her in a second, hovering over her, between her spread legs. He pulled off his shirt and bent down to claim her lips again.

She ran her hands up his sides and over his bare chest as he continued to kiss her and rock his hips into her. His lips left hers once again to trail down her neck to her chest. He ignored her cry of protest when he savagely ripped her very expensive bra off to circle one nipple with his tongue while palming the other with his hand.

Her moans grew steadily as he switched breasts and he chuckled at her impatience when she began to raise her hips, desperate for some kind of friction.

"Patience, love," he said, releasing her nipple.

Despite his words, he reached down and undid the button on her shorts. His fingers dipped inside her panties and found her already wet.

"Fuck, Josie," he breathed, pushing one, then two fingers inside her.

She raised her hips in time with his thrusting fingers, moaning loudly. Her disappointment was audible when he removed them. He just smiled down at her with a wicked gleam as he moved his fingers to his mouth and sucked her wetness from them. Then he shifted down her body, taking her shorts, underwear and shoes off and discarding them.

She bit her lip as he reinserted his fingers, bending down to wrap his lips around her clit.

"Oh god, Klaus!" she cried as he began to suck her bud into his mouth.

She reached down and ran her fingers through his hair as he continued to use his mouth and fingers to pleasure her. She could feel her orgasm building quickly, much more quickly than she could ever remember. Klaus clearly knew what he was doing as he continued his wonderful assault on her body.

All it took was a few more seconds of his treatment and she screamed out her release. She let her orgasm wash over her as she arched her back, pressing herself into Klaus' face before collapsing back on the bed, breathing heavily.

He was by her side a second later, looking down at her with a satisfied grin.

"Enjoy yourself?" he asked.

Josie could only nod. She pulled him down to give him a lazy kiss as her heart rate returned to normal.

The kiss soon turned passionate and even though he hadn't removed his pants, Josie could feel how hard he was as he pressed his hips against her side.

She reached down and cupped him through his pants before moving to unbutton them. He shifted his hips back to allow her room to push his pants aside and stroke him through his underwear. She smiled into his lips when she was rewarded with a low growl from his throat.

She pushed him onto his back and straddled him once again. She bent down to give him a quick kiss before crawling down his body. She quickly pulled his pants, underwear, socks and shoes completely off, and ran a casual hand up the inside of his leg, stopping just before she reached his erection.

He growled at her teasing and she couldn't contain her small chuckle.

"Now who's impatient?" she asked, placing feather-light kisses on the inside of his thighs, on his lower stomach, everywhere but where he wanted most.

She blinked and found their positions reversed, with her lying on her back, him between her spread legs. She only had a second to contemplate the unfairness that was vampire speed before she was distracted by the sensation of Klaus pushing himself into her.

She thought about how he'd knocked up Hayley for a split second before dismissing the concern. Josie wasn't a werewolf after all.

She couldn't contain the moan that tore from her throat as he sank deeper and deeper until he'd seated himself to the hilt.

And damn, it was bliss. He stretched her deliciously and her pleasure only grew as he started to move in and out of her. He continued kissing her, his tongue exploring her mouth as he gripped her hips firmly, thrusting in and out roughly.

He shifted his angle and began running his hands all over her, dipping his head to kiss the sensitive skin on her neck. It felt amazing; he felt amazing. A thousand years of experience in the way he moved his hips, how he used his hands, the dance his lips played on her skin.

Josie could feel herself building to another orgasm. Klaus seemed close too, but determined to see her finish first.

He pulled back, even as he continued his relentless pace, to reach down and play with her sensitive bud.

"Come on, love," he breathed, his voice a little strained. "Come for me."

It didn't take long before Josie obeyed, writhing in pleasure. She screamed his name as she felt herself fall over the edge and come, tightening around him.

A few more thrusts and he was right behind her, cursing loudly as he came inside her. She was still trying to catch her breath as he leaned down to kiss her, still seated within her.

When he pulled back, he smiled down at her.

"If I'd known I'd get that reaction, I'd have given you that necklace weeks ago," he said, teasing her.

Josie rolled her eyes. "Vulgar beast."

"Obviously," he smirked, leaning down and kissing her neck.

Soon, she was moaning again and she could feel him hardening inside her. Vampires recovered at an impressive pace. She remembered that from her time with Damon.

This time, he rolled them over and let her set the pace, with her astride him. And when she grew tired, he held her up and thrust inside her, making sure she came once more before reaching completion himself.

"Fuck," she said, rolling off him.

"Alright there, love?" he smirked, putting his hands behind his head.

"Mmm," she murmured, rolling onto her side and throwing an arm over his torso.

She closed her eyes, intending to only rest for a moment, but soon was fast asleep, her head resting on his shoulder, her body flush against his.

 **A/N: So I guess it's obvious at this point- in terms of Klaus or Elijah, it's Klaus. I've written a fairly broken Klaus and I think Josie is in a unique position to help and understand him. Plus, there are a few plot points later on that I think will work better with Klaus.**

 **I'm not promising Josie/Klaus as endgame, but there is that potential, even though now it's pretty much only about the physical attraction (at least on Josie's part). With two people that don't have great impulse control, I think it was always going to be sex before anything else.**

 **Apologies to all of you who were hoping for Josie/Elijah (please don't hate me). They will be very close friends- I have something special planned for them soon actually!**

 **Elijah is one of my favorite characters (he would be my personal choice of the Mikaelson brothers) and I want him to have a happy ending in my story (and I'm not a Hayley fan), so I have to figure something out for him…**


	41. Ordinary People

**A/N: Just a reminder that Jeremy never died and came back at the end of Season 2, so he has no connection to the Other Side in this story (in fact nobody knows about the Other Side yet besides Josie). So the events of Ghost World aren't happening.**

When Josie awoke the next morning, it took a moment for her to realize where she was. Their positions had shifted during the night and now Klaus was pressed against her back, his arm encircling her waist.

She only wondered if he was awake for a second because soon he was rubbing his erection against the small of her back and kissing her neck. She moaned in response and arched her back, causing him growl at the increased friction on his length.

He lowered the hand that had been on her waist to the apex of her thighs. Smiling against her neck when he found her already wet, he lifted her leg and swiftly entered her.

He gripped her hips as he slid in and out, still spooning her. He picked up the pace and snaked a hand between her legs to rub her clit as he thrust in and out of her. Her moans soon turned to screams as she came, gripping the sheets for support.

He wasn't far behind, spilling himself inside her with a growl. He eased himself out of her after a minute and rolled onto his back, pulling her with him, so they were laying side by side, staring up at the ceiling.

She chanced a peek at him after a few seconds.

"You'll have to look me in the eye at some point, love," he smirked, looking over at her.

Josie laughed. "I suppose so."

She rolled onto her side and looked at him. It was really unfair. No one should look this good just waking up. She wondered if it was a vampire thing.

She started to get up, but he pulled her to him and all of a sudden she was beneath him, his lips inches from hers.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, smiling down at her.

"We're supposed to meet your hybrids in an hour," she said. "I need a shower."

"How… convenient," he said, smiling.

Josie raised her eyebrows. "Convenient?"

He just smirked, before speeding them into his en-suite bathroom.

Showering together took much longer than it normally would have, as Klaus took her twice while they were in there. She wondered at the stamina of vampires, even as she returned his caresses eagerly. Still, she'd promised herself it was just a one night thing, which then turned into a one night, one morning thing, so even if she couldn't walk afterwards, she figured she'd have time to recover.

As it was, they were nearly 20 minutes late meeting the hybrids downstairs. They all made their way to a lone werewolf named Mindy just outside the Kansas City limits. Klaus didn't even finish his explanation before she invited them all in and eagerly volunteered to become a hybrid.

After Klaus turned her, he sent Mindy off with the other hybrids to eat something. Josie suggested they all go out together that night.

"It's good for the pack and your leadership," said Josie as they drove back into town. "These first few hybrids will be the ones to welcome others into the pack. Securing their loyalty is key."

"I'm supernaturally blessed with a sire bond, Josie," he said. "I already have their loyalty."

"The bond can be broken," she reminded him. "And don't you want to really have their loyalty? Like a true family, a true pack?"

Klaus tilted his head. "What did you have in mind?"

"We should ask Mindy," said Josie. "She's the local. She can probably suggest a place for dinner and then maybe some drinks? Get to know them and let them know each other."

Klaus nodded. "Alright."

"Who knows? You might even have fun, Klaus," she said, laughing.

He just smiled and shook his head.

That night they all went to a local restaurant of Mindy's choosing. Mindy was a bit nervous, clearly wanting to make a good impression on Klaus and the other hybrids.

"I eat at this place all the time," said Mindy, after the waitress had taken their orders. "I know the ribs are better at Joe's, but the atmosphere is nicer here. And since we don't really need to eat…"

"Everything looks delicious, Mindy," said Josie, smiling. "And I agree about the atmosphere."

They were sitting on a gorgeous outdoor terrace that overlooked the Missouri River.

"Klaus, weren't you saying the other day how much you like to eat outside?" Josie asked, trying to draw him into the conversation.

He nodded. "The biergartens of Bavaria. Canal-side cafes in Venice. Al fresco dining is one of life's simple pleasures."

"I've never been to Europe," said Mindy, impressed.

Klaus smiled. "Now you have a thousand lifetimes to go."

Josie grinned. Klaus could certainly be charming when he wanted to be. The conversation carried on easily after that and Josie could tell the hybrids were having a good time and were getting along well. Josie herself had fun and found that she and Mindy in particular had a lot in common.

After James told a particularly crude joke that had Mindy spitting out her drink in laughter, Klaus leaned over and whispered into Josie's ear that this had been a good idea.

Josie just smiled back at him, flattered by the compliment. She couldn't contain her surprise when he reached down and squeezed her knee for a second before removing his hand. She supposed that was his way of saying thank you, but the echo of his touch lingered longer than she would have liked.

After dinner, they went to a bar that Mindy recommended. They settled at a corner booth and then Klaus challenged the four hybrids to compel their drinks all night rather than pay for them, which ended up being this strange competition between the four of them of who could drink and compel the most.

"Here," said Mindy, shoving two shot glasses at Klaus and Josie.

"Why don't you drink them?" asked Josie, who was already feeling pleasantly tipsy.

Mindy shrugged. "I don't even like tequila."

Josie laughed. "Nobody likes tequila."

"Would be rude to refuse, love," said Klaus, smiling wickedly.

He grabbed Josie's hand, licked the back of it and poured salt there. It was just one night, Josie told herself. Just one night. Though she couldn't take her eyes off his tongue when he licked the salt off her hand and downed the tequila shot. She remembered oh-too-well what that tongue could do.

"Your turn, my dear," said Klaus, smiling at her.

Josie looked up and saw that Mindy had disappeared.

She grabbed Klaus' hand and repeated his actions. Lick, salt, lick, shot. She took the offered lime slice though. And all the while, Klaus regarded her with those dark eyes.

She took the lime out of her mouth, set it down and began licking the residual lime juice off her fingers.

"Let me," he said, taking one finger, sucking the tip into his mouth and rolling his tongue around it.

God, she hated him. He was too good at this.

She leaned into him, pulled her finger out of his mouth and soon his lips were on hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

He broke away after a few seconds.

"I've had my fill of hybrid antics for one evening," he said, pulling her up and out of the booth.

He hailed them a cab and soon they were back at the hotel suite, with his face buried between her legs, making her scream his name as she came all over his face. He let her return the favor for a few minutes before he threw her onto her hands and knees, fucking her roughly from behind, until they both came and collapsed in a heap.

The next morning she woke up to his mouth doing wicked things to her and it wasn't long before he was seated deep inside her, making her come over and over again.

And so it repeated. Every morning she told herself this was the last time and every night she ended up in Klaus' bed. It took a week before she grudgingly admitted to herself that this wasn't just a one-time thing.

After Kansas City, Klaus' leads became sketchier, but Josie had a vision of a small pack in Colorado a few days later. So, Klaus was able to add another 12 hybrids to his pack.

The place in Colorado was in a national forest and many of the pack had RVs (what was it with werewolves and RVs?), so the night Klaus turned them all, Josie dragged Mindy to a local grocery store and together they threw a huge cookout to welcome all the new hybrids to the pack.

Mindy even compelled a number of the local townsfolk to come so the hybrids could have a taste of fresh blood. Josie's stomach turned at the prospect, but they agreed they wouldn't kill them and would modify their memories the next day.

The hybrids all had a great time getting to know each other and Klaus was in fine form as the charming leader. Josie had a blast. A few of the hybrids were around her age, and they ate, talked and drank all afternoon and well into the night.

"Did you hear one of the new hybrids used to be an instructor for combat training in the Army?" asked Josie the next morning. "Greg, I think."

Klaus was laying on his back, while she was on her side, one leg thrown over his, her hand tracing random patterns on his chest.

"I'll speak with him today," said Klaus, unconsciously stroking her bare back.

"Have you heard from Elijah lately?"

Klaus shook his head. "Just a few texts. Still no sign of Mikael. Your friends have Stefan imprisoned. Trying to get him to turn his humanity back on."

"You didn't tell Rebekah or Elijah to get him out?" asked Josie, confused.

"Elijah is there to protect your sister," said Klaus. "I don't much care what happens to Stefan."

Josie bit her lip, knowing that probably wasn't true. But after Stefan had attacked her and Elena at Senior Prank Night, she preferred a humanity-on Stefan.

"And what about Rebekah?" Josie asked.

"Still smitten with my hybrid," growled Klaus.

Josie sat up, the covers pooling around her waist.

"Mason's a nice guy," she said. "Rebekah could do worse."

"Let's not talk of Rebekah just now," he said, eyeing her chest appreciatively.

He leaned over her and nudged her thighs apart.

"I was just saying…"

His lips cut her off and his fingers between her legs distracted her. By the time he slipped inside her and was kissing her neck, she'd forgotten all about Rebekah, Mason and Mystic Falls.

They spent a few days in Colorado while Klaus gathered more information about a potential pack in Portland. Klaus had Greg start teaching the hybrids basic combat training and getting them used to their new abilities.

"Greg Torres, 25, Denver, Colorado," read Klaus over Josie's shoulder at her laptop. He had just come into the hotel room from checking on the hybrids. "What are you doing?"

Josie shrugged. "I thought you might want a record of your hybrids. You know, names, places of origin, skills, interests, etc. I'm pretty sure most companies keep this kind of information on file."

Klaus looked at her with a curious expression.

"What?" she asked. "It might come in handy. Especially the more your pack grows."

"Why are you helping me?" he asked.

Josie frowned. Why was she doing this?

"I don't know," she said, honestly. "We spent all summer working towards this. You're going to make hybrids regardless of what I do. I want this to work because I know you'll just kill them all if they become disloyal."

She remembered how Klaus had slaughtered all of his remaining hybrids when he learned they'd become unsired. These hybrids were good people and she wanted them to have a good, loyal pack.

Deep down, she knew that wasn't the only reason. The truth was, as much as she disagreed with what Klaus did sometimes, she wanted him to have a good, loyal pack as well.

"Protector of the innocent and the damned," Klaus chuckled.

He leaned down and kissed her. Then, he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around her waist, pressing herself against him. It was always like this. One touch and she was putty in his hands. Josie couldn't remember it ever being like this with anyone else. Maybe that's why, no matter how much she told herself that this time was the last time, it never was. She just couldn't stay away.

Klaus kissed her for a minute before speeding her over to the bed and depositing her on the edge.

"Pack your suitcase, love. We're leaving for Portland in half an hour."

Josie scoffed. "You fucking tease!"

Klaus just smiled wickedly and left the room.

Josie sighed, knowing they were driving, not flying, since they had the caravan in tow.

When they arrived in Portland, they learned that the pack Klaus was seeking was camped on the top of a mountain, a two days' hike from the nearest road. Before Josie could open her mouth to protest, Klaus informed her that he was going alone.

"You'll stay here with the rest of the pack," he said. "They can protect you. I should be back tomorrow afternoon."

He gathered all the hybrids in the parking lot of the motel they were staying at and told them he would be leaving to turn a new pack of werewolves and that they should stay there and continue training in the meantime.

"You should appoint someone to fill in for you while you're gone," said Josie, reminding him of the conversation they'd had the other day. "Just in case something happens and your standing orders need to be changed."

They'd talked about assigning a Beta for the pack, but Klaus had wanted to spend more time with the hybrids before he decided on a second-in-command.

"Suppose you're right," said Klaus. He turned back to address the group. "While I'm gone, Josie is in charge. Understand?"

Josie was surprised, not to mention flattered. She supposed she was the obvious choice, given he didn't know any of the hybrids that well. She didn't think it was necessarily the right choice though.

"Klaus, they're not going to listen to me," said Josie, frowning.

"They'll do as I say," he said confidently.

Surprisingly, all the hybrids nodded in agreement.

"You see?" Klaus smiled. "That's it," he said, dismissing them.

They all went back to whatever they were doing before.

"I won't be gone long, love," said Klaus, brushing a hair away from her face. "Just make sure they keep training and don't get into any trouble. No one is to leave the campsite, understand?"

Josie nodded and he vanished from sight. She sighed and looked at the hybrids, wondering why they had so willingly agreed to listen to her. Was the sire bond really that strong?

"You look confused," said Mindy, coming up to her.

"It's just odd," confessed Josie. "I mean, I'm not a member of the pack."

Mindy shrugged. "It's not uncommon for the Alpha's mate to assume leadership when the Alpha is gone. Even if they aren't a wolf themselves."

Josie's eyes widened. "Mate?"

Mindy nodded. "It's different if the Alpha dies, but in absentia, yeah, often it's his mate that leads in his stead if the Beta isn't available."

"I'm not Klaus' mate," said Josie, shaking her head.

Now it was Mindy's turn to look confused.

"You share his bed. He obviously respects your opinion and consults you on matters of how to run the pack. I guess 'mate' is an old-fashioned term," said Mindy, laughing. "You'll have to forgive the wolves. We're steeped in tradition."

Josie laughed nervously and decided to change the subject.

"So, how's your sister? The baby's due in a few weeks, right?"

Mindy nodded. "Three weeks from today. She's nervous. Excited though. I wish I could be there."

Josie smiled and put her hand on Mindy's arm.

"We should be going back to Mystic Falls soon," said Josie. "Once Klaus has dealt with the hunter, maybe we can convince him to let you take a vacation to visit your sister for a while. She's in North Carolina, right?"

Mindy nodded. "Closer to Virginia than Kansas."

Josie smiled. "I want pictures then!"

Mindy laughed. "Of course!"

Thankfully, the night and next day passed by uneventfully and Klaus returned with the pack of new hybrids the next afternoon. All told he now had about 45 hybrids at his command.

They were just finishing dinner that night when Stefan called with the information they'd been waiting for. Saying that Mikael was daggered. That Klaus could come by whenever he wanted to get the body. When Klaus hung up, he turned to Josie.

"Mikael is daggered they say."

"So back to Mystic Falls then?" asked Josie.

"Now is the time, my dear," said Klaus, seriously. "If you are trying to betray me in any way…"

Josie frowned. "I'm not, Klaus. I want my freedom and I promised Elijah I wouldn't kill you." She paused, biting her lip. "And I don't want you to die."

It was true. Amazing sex aside, she enjoyed his company. As difficult as the summer had been for her, the past few weeks with him, helping make this group of hybrids a true pack, well, she'd had more fun than she thought she would. It was certainly more interesting than sitting in physics class.

Klaus smiled at her confession. "High compliments."

Josie laughed. "Don't go getting a big head…"

Klaus raised an eyebrow.

"Too late?" she queried.

He just growled and pounced on her.

They called Elijah a little while later. He confirmed that he'd seen Mikael earlier that day, but had kept his distance, making sure Mikael hadn't seen him. They made plans to be back in Mystic Falls in three days' time, the night of the Homecoming Dance.

The plan was simple, based on what Josie could remember of the storyline: move the dance to a location that Mikael couldn't enter, when Mikael handed off the stake to a vampire that could get in (Josie remembered it had been Damon), Elijah would swoop in, steal the stake, wait until Mikael's back was turned (probably while insulting Klaus because that's what Mikael did), and Elijah would stake Mikael.

Josie just hoped the Scoobies hadn't changed anything from the original plan. Why would they? Nothing had really changed. Elijah had been keeping his distance for a week or two now. He'd even said 'good-bye' to Elena, indicating that he was going out of town, so the Scoobies would think they only had Rebekah to deal with. Josie hoped Rebekah wasn't going to get daggered, but knew that was probably too much to hope for.

Josie didn't want to tell Klaus that Stefan might try to steal the coffins, so she casually suggested that Klaus assign a few hybrids to guard them at all times. Thankfully, he agreed. Plus, once Mikael was dead, she was sure Elijah would want to see to the coffins immediately, so she figured Stefan's chances of getting them in revenge were pretty low anyway.

It was the night before the dance and Klaus, Josie and the rest of the hybrids were staying in a small town about 100 miles away from Mystic Falls. They had just gotten off the phone with Elijah to confirm plans.

"Remember, you're not to go anywhere near the dance," said Klaus, seriously. "Mikael will kill you."

"I heard you the first 50 times you told me," she said, sarcastically.

"I'm serious, love," he said, tilting her chin up so he could look into her eyes.

Josie nodded. "I know. It's not like James and Tabitha would let me go anyway," she said, referring to the two hybrids that were assigned to protect her until Mikael was dead.

Klaus sighed and leaned back into the headboard of the bed. "Tomorrow I kill my father. A thousand years of running at an end." He turned to her. "Thank you."

Josie smiled, knowing he really was grateful.

"You're welcome."

"I was thinking," he said, pulling her closer to his side. "Once Mikael is dead and I've retrieved a bit more blood from your sister, there's a pack of werewolves outside Paris…"

Josie raised her eyebrows. "Paris?"

"You're under no obligation, of course," he said, hastily. "I know you wish to return home."

Why was she so tempted? Why did the idea of Paris with him sound so appealing? Certainly much better than going to high school, again, in Mystic Falls.

"Paris sounds great," she admitted. "But I do miss people back home. And I don't think I should miss more school."

"I can always compel you a diploma," he smiled.

"Don't tempt me," she said, laughing.

Klaus looked at her seriously. "Paris will be there when you're ready."

He reached over and raked his hands through her hair, pulling her in for a kiss. She deepened the kiss, pushing her tongue into his mouth and cupping him through his pants.

He pushed her onto her back and stripped her completely naked. He made her come twice with his hands and mouth before crawling up her body and letting her catch her breath.

"Mmm…" she murmured. "You're making me rethink Paris."

He smirked. "One orgasm at a time."

She reached up and cupped his face.

"I meant what I said. Paris does sound great. These past few weeks… I had more fun than I thought I would. With the pack." She bit her lip. "And you."

Klaus just smiled and kissed her gently.

Josie yelped in surprise when he suddenly flipped her onto her hands and knees, quickly stripped himself of his own clothes and pushed inside her from behind. He gripped her hips and fucked her roughly, his groans increasing to a steady growl. Klaus growled a lot, but this was the first time since they'd been sleeping together she felt like there was a bit of the wolf in him.

The thought just made her hotter; push back against him harder, for some reason. He just moved a hand around her waist and fingered her in response. He bent down, pressing his torso flush with hers, scraping his teeth along the back of her neck. It wasn't long before she was screaming his name in ecstasy. A few seconds later, he cursed loudly before emptying himself inside her.

"Fuck, Klaus," she said, collapsing on her stomach, completely boneless.

He fell alongside her, pulling her back against his chest, kissing the back of her neck.

"I've enjoyed myself as well," he whispered into her neck.

It wasn't long before they both succumbed to sleep.

The next morning, she was in the shower, washing her hair when she felt a slight sting at the back of her neck. Looking in the bathroom mirror, she was shocked to see a bite mark there. A little annoyed, she walked back into the room where Klaus was sitting at the table on his laptop.

"What the hell?" she asked, lifting up her hair.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked, not looking up from his computer.

"You bit me!" she exclaimed, showing him the mark.

He looked at her with a curious expression. "Got a bit carried away, I suppose."

"Well, I'm not comfortable with you biting me," she said, crossing her arms.

If he bit her, then she'd need his blood to heal. Strange as it sounded since they were sleeping together, sharing that experience, sharing blood with him, it was just too… intimate.

Despite all the talking they did, they hadn't discussed what they were doing with each other. If it meant something more than just sex. She wasn't sure he was capable of more than sex. It was Klaus, after all.

"You chose to roll in the dirt with the beast," he smirked.

Josie rolled her eyes. "Just don't do it again."

The bite mark wasn't that bad or deep. In fact, it was halfway scabbed over already, but it was strange that he didn't offer to heal her. And what an odd place to bite her. She was sure he hadn't gotten much blood from there.

She just shook her head and finished getting ready, trying not to think about everything that was at stake tonight.

 **A/N: So much for a one night thing, huh? Let me know what you think about the progress of their interactions/relationship, hybrid-making, etc.**

 **I thought it made sense that Josie's attempts to try and make the hybrids more like a traditional pack would appeal to Klaus- he wants to stay in power and I think, deep down, this was why he wanted to make hybrids in the first place- so he wouldn't be alone, so he could have a family that was just like him. He clearly didn't have that influence in canon though, which is kinda sad.**


	42. Homecoming (Part One)

Later that night, Josie was sitting at the little kitchen table in one of the pack's RVs playing with her phone. The dance had been officially moved to the Lockwood mansion, courtesy of Mason, and so far, everything was going according to plan. Or so Elijah and Klaus' texts said.

She was nervous, but confident Elijah, Klaus and the hybrids could handle Mikael, together with the element of surprise and her foreknowledge of what the Scoobies had planned.

Her confidence was shattered when she was hit by a vision. It was Mikael and he was trying to compel Mindy. However, Mindy, like the rest of the hybrids, were on vervain (warned by Josie) and so were immune to compulsion. In a fantastic rage, Mikael, along with Damon, killed over 20 hybrids, including Mindy, and when Elijah tried to intervene (Klaus appeared to be elsewhere), Elijah managed to steal the white oak stake from Damon, but in the struggle, somehow it was Elijah who ended up with the stake buried in his heart.

Josie was pulled back to reality, screaming as she watched all the hybrids die, along with Elijah and, surprisingly, Lexi (who must have been in Elijah's sire line).

She immediately dialed Klaus, then Elijah, but neither of them answered. Even Mindy's phone went to voicemail and Josie was terrified her vision had already come true.

"We have to go!" she said, turning to her hybrid bodyguards, James and Tabitha. "Mindy and a bunch of the pack are going to die."

"Klaus said to stay," said James.

Damn sire bond.

"Klaus died in my vision too," Josie lied.

She felt bad, but she wasn't going to let Elijah and the hybrids die. She had to warn them.

James and Tabitha looked hesitant, as if unsure whether to help Klaus or disobey his orders. Finally, it seemed their desire to see Klaus alive trumped his orders.

"Let's go," said James, grabbing his keys.

They arrived at the Lockwood mansion five minutes later. Tabitha and James said they were going to find Klaus and let him know what Josie had seen. They ordered Josie to stay in the car.

Josie was annoyed, but reluctantly agreed, figuring as long as Klaus was warned about the hybrids, the fight wouldn't happen and Elijah would be okay. She was only in the car for a minute when she saw Mindy walking along the side of the house. Josie got out of the car and ran to her.

"Mindy!" Josie exclaimed. "Oh, thank god."

Josie gave Mindy a quick hug.

"What are you doing here?" said Mindy, pulling back, looking worried. "It's not safe."

"I had a vision of Mikael killing you," said Josie. "He tried to compel you and when it didn't work, he tore out your heart. We have to get you inside, where it's safe."

Mindy shook her head. "I'm supposed to patrol the perimeter. I can't leave my post."

Josie frowned. "Screw your post. Mikael is going to kill you."

Mindy opened her mouth to reply when Elijah came up to the two girls.

"Josie, what are you doing here?" asked Elijah. "Mikael has been spotted. It's not safe."

"I had a vision of you and Mindy getting killed by Mikael and I had to warn you," explained Josie. "Nobody's picking up their goddamn cell phones."

"We have strict instructions not to answer anyone's call besides Klaus," explained Mindy.

"I had mine on silent, my dear," said Elijah. "I've been tracking Mikael."

"Where is he now?" asked Josie, looking around.

"I am unsure," said Elijah. " I heard your voice and came as quickly as I could. You are especially vulnerable, Josie."

"Why is that?" came a voice to the side. "What is she to Niklaus?"

Josie, Elijah and Mindy turned to see Mikael standing there.

"Mindy, Josie, get out of here," said Elijah, putting a protective arm in front of the girls.

Mikael zoomed forward and attacked Elijah. After a few quick blows, Mikael managed to get Elijah off-balance and sent him flying into a nearby tree. Then Mikael came up to Mindy and fed on her before Elijah tore Mikael away. Mindy dropped to the ground, unconscious, but thankfully still alive.

Elijah looked at Josie and shouted, "Run!"

Startled into action, Josie turned toward the backyard (which was significantly closer than the front yard) and ran as fast as she could. She was in the middle of the crowd, making her way to the backdoor when she felt a strong hand encircle her arm.

She looked up, expecting to see Elijah, only to see Mikael's weathered, mean face staring back at her.

"Now, who are you?" asked Mikael, narrowing his eyes. "And why was my bastard son so desperate to keep you from me? You're not a hybrid. You're nothing but a human."

"Where is Elijah?" asked Josie, fearful of the answer.

"His devotion to Niklaus is unending, it seems. I was forced to drive a stake through his heart."

"No," breathed Josie.

"Oh, you needn't worry," said Mikael, dismissively. "I've reserved the white oak for Niklaus."

Josie was relieved that Elijah was alive-ish, but worried at this turn of events.

"Now…" said Mikael. "Who are you? His current lover? I can smell my bastard son all over you."

In spite of the situation, Josie wrinkled her nose. Gross. What was it with vampires and smelling people?

"I just work for him," she said, trying to tug her arm free. "I…"

"Where did you get that?" asked Mikael, cutting her off.

Josie saw that he was looking at her necklace. She didn't answer.

"Where?" growled Mikael, shaking Josie violently.

"Klaus gave it to me."

She didn't dare lie, in case Mikael already knew the truth.

Instead, he seemed surprised by her answer.

"Why would he give that to you? Who are you?" Mikael looked her up and down. "No matter. You might prove useful."

Mikael tightened his grip on Josie and moved toward the house. A few seconds later, they nearly ran over someone.

"Josie!" exclaimed Tyler. "I was hoping you'd be here. Can you believe my uncle put this party together for that asshole?"

"You must be speaking about my son," said Mikael.

Josie rolled her eyes.

"You're Klaus' dad?" asked Tyler, incredulously.

"Is this your residence?" asked Mikael, ignoring Tyler's question.

Tyler nodded.

Mikael gripped Josie tighter so she yelped.

"I'd appreciate an invitation," said Mikael. "I'm here to kill that… asshole."

"Tyler, don't," said Josie, cursing the butterfly effect once again. Because Tyler wasn't a vampire hybrid, he was perfectly capable of inviting Mikael into the house.

"Quiet, girl," growled Mikael. "Now, invite me inside."

Tyler eyed the tight grip Mikael had on Josie.

"Let her go," countered Tyler.

"You're in no position to make demands," said Mikael. "Invite me inside or she dies."

Tyler's eyes grew wide and he didn't hesitate for a second.

"Why don't you come inside?" said Tyler, hastily.

"That's better," said Mikael, forcing Josie past Tyler, around to the front of the house.

As they walked to the front, Josie started to get more and more anxious. Elijah was out of the game. Mikael had figured out that Josie was somewhat valuable to Klaus (why had Mikael reacted like that to the necklace?) and had obtained an invitation to the house. Nothing was going as planned.

Once they were on the front porch, Mikael took out a nasty-looking knife.

"You two," said Mikael, motioning to two students on the porch.

He turned to the first and compelled him. "Go inside and ask for Klaus. Tell him his father wishes to speak with him."

Then, he compelled the second. "Hold her." He shoved Josie at the second student and handed him the knife. "If she speaks even a single word, kill her."

Josie could only stand there in silence as the crowd inside the mansion thinned. Her heart caught in her chest when Mikael addressed Klaus, who was standing just inside the doorway.

"Hello, Niklaus," said Mikael.

"Hello, Mikael," returned Klaus. "Won't you come in? Oh, that's right. I forgot, you can't"

Josie desperately wanted to scream that he was invited! It was a trick! But the compelled student wouldn't hesitate to kill her if she said anything.

"You can come outside if you want," said Mikael.

"Or I can watch my hybrids tear you limb from limb," threatened Klaus.

Mikael shook his head. "They can't kill me."

"True, but it would make a hell of a party game. All I have to do is rub these two fingers together, and they'll pounce."

"The Big, Bad Wolf," mocked Mikael. "You haven't changed. Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward… Always sending others to fight your battles for you."

Mikael motioned to the student, who dragged Josie to Mikael's side. Mikael took the knife and held it to her side.

"Stay away from her," growled Klaus, looking furious.

"Come out and face me, Niklaus," said Mikael. "Or she dies."

Josie could hardly breathe. What would Klaus do? It was all a trick anyway. Mikael could go in anytime he wanted. What was he waiting for?

"I'm sorry, love," said Klaus, looking at Josie, sadly. "I told you to stay out of it." Then he looked up at his father. "Go ahead. Kill her."

Josie couldn't believe it. Fucking selfish bastard. He could at least pretend to give a shit. She was more upset by his apathy than she thought she'd be.

"You asshole," she spat, forgetting that she wasn't supposed to talk.

Thankfully, Mikael seemed amused by her reaction, rather than angry.

Mikael chuckled. "Such venom. No doubt she believed you cared for her. As if that were possible. Nothing more than your latest whore."

Josie winced. Was that all she was?

"You know nothing," growled Klaus, his eyes flickering to Josie for a second.

"I know you," said Mikael, his voice full of contempt. "The abomination. Alone and unloved. I can end your pathetic existence right now."

It was easy to see where Klaus got his asshole nature from. As much as she hated Klaus at the moment, Mikael was a piece of work.

"I'm calling your bluff, Father," said Klaus, not looking at Josie. "Kill her."

"Come outside and face me, you little coward. And I won't have to."

Josie watched as tears streamed down Klaus' face. She couldn't feel sorry for him, though. He had left her out here to die. He didn't care at all.

"My whole life you've underestimated me," said Klaus. "If you kill her, you lose your leverage. So go on, kill her, old man."

Was Klaus seriously egging Mikael on? His words cut like a knife, that she clearly meant nothing to him. How could she have been so stupid to think Klaus might actually care? That maybe he was more than just a monster?

"Your impulse, Niklaus. It has and will forever be the one thing that keeps you from truly being great."

All of a sudden, Josie felt pain explode on her side as Mikael stabbed her with the knife. She screamed and collapsed to the ground. It was a fatal wound, she could tell.

From her position on the ground, she watched Damon attack Klaus with the white oak stake. Klaus turned to fight him, but was caught completely off-guard when Mikael surged in from behind. Clearly, Damon's attack was what Mikael was waiting for.

She tried to say something, anything, but she couldn't be heard above the commotion. She heard a blast from the front lawn and saw that Katherine had appeared out of nowhere and had detonated one of the vervain bombs at the hybrids, just like in the original storyline.

Back in the house, Klaus managed to send Damon and the white oak stake across the room, but Mikael, who was just as strong as Klaus, used that distraction to hold him from behind and Klaus couldn't shake him.

Damon got to his feet quickly and just when he was about to stake Klaus, he was stopped by Stefan. Damon threw Stefan off and stabbed him in the shoulder for good measure, while Klaus was still struggling with Mikael. Damon picked up the white oak stake once again. Josie could only watch as Damon advanced on Klaus and Mikael.

She cursed her decision to keep the bloodline information a secret. She'd only kept it hidden because she was afraid Klaus wouldn't honor their deal to release her from his service. Based on the past few weeks, she was already done working for him.

She'd been so confident about tonight though. With Elijah and Klaus and a pack of uncompellable hybrids, who would have thought it would come to this? She promised herself if Klaus lived, she would tell everyone about the bloodline issue immediately. If he didn't… well she wouldn't have to tell anyone. Of course, that assumed someone came to heal her in the next few seconds. Otherwise, she wasn't going to be around to tell anyone anything.

She just laid there and watched as Damon raised the white oak stake to Klaus' chest, unable to tell him he was literally committing suicide. There was a feral growl from behind Josie and Mason launched himself at Damon before the stake could sink in any further. By this time, Stefan was up and he blurred behind Damon, who was distracted by Mason, and snapped his older brothers' neck.

"It's okay," came a voice from behind Josie. "I've got you."

Tyler's worried face came into view and she felt him pressing against her side, trying to staunch the bleeding. But Josie knew it was too late. She could barely breathe at this point and felt incredibly light-headed.

"I'm sorry, Josie," said Tyler, pressing a kiss against her forehead.

"It's okay," whispered Josie, though she wasn't sure if he heard her.

She knew it must have been Tyler that alerted Mason about Mikael's invitation. She watched Mason and Klaus get the better of Mikael and saw Klaus stab Mikael with the white oak stake. Glad that at least her friends were alive even if she was about to leave them, the last thing she remembered before the world faded to black was Mikael's body going up in flames.

Josie woke with a gasp. What the hell? She was lying on her bed in the Gilbert house. There was movement in her peripheral vision and she saw Klaus sitting next to her on the bed. Jeremy and Elena were on the opposite side, eyeing Klaus warily.

"It's alright, love," Klaus said. "You're fine."

What was going on? She had been at the Lockwood mansion. And Mikael was there and… she looked down and saw the rip in her shirt where Mikael had stabbed her, but no obvious wound. It had been a fatal wound. Did she die? How was that possible unless… But no, she hadn't had any vampire blood in weeks. At least not that she was aware of.

Then she remembered her coffee had tasted a little funny this morning… She sat up, looking at Klaus with suspicious eyes.

"Am I…"

"You're not in transition," said Klaus, answering her unasked question. "The necklace I gave you. It has resuscitative powers."

"Like my ring," said Jeremy, holding up his hand to show the gaudy Gilbert ring. "How are you feeling, Jo?"

"Okay," she frowned, turning to Klaus. "Why didn't you tell me?"

His goading of Mikael to kill her suddenly made more sense. He knew she wouldn't stay dead.

"I had hoped to prevent you from doing something reckless," he said, raising an eyebrow.

Josie rolled her eyes. "Me? Reckless?"

Then she realized something. "Wait, how did you get in here?" she asked Klaus.

"I was invited of course," Klaus smirked.

Elena and Jeremy were shooting daggers at him. Clearly the invitation wasn't given willingly.

"He threatened to take you to his house if we didn't invite him in," said Elena angrily.

Josie sighed. That sounded like something Klaus would do. Still, it was odd that they'd let him in and there was no back-up in the form of Damon or Alaric or someone…

"Is everyone okay?" she asked, fearful of the answer.

"Other than my father, yes. I'm not sure why you're so fearful," he said, turning to Jeremy and Elena. "I assure you if I wanted revenge for your little plot I'd have already taken it." He paused. "As it is, I'm quite grateful. Mikael is dead."

Klaus had agreed beforehand not to take revenge against the Scoobies. Seeing as how he hadn't done it in the original storyline, it hadn't been too difficult to convince him, especially as Josie had promised Mikael would be dead before the night was over.

It was puzzling what Klaus thought was an act worthy of revenge and what wasn't. She did notice that he tended not to be too concerned with revenge as long as he 'won'.

Klaus turned back to Josie. "I should return home, my dear. I expect Elijah…"

"Wait," said Josie, putting her hand on his arm. "The necklace. Mikael didn't know it would bring me back, but he recognized it."

Klaus tilted his head. "Did he? It's quite famous in some circles. It was said to be crafted by Nefertiti herself, from a stone that fell from the heavens. I obtained it at great cost in the 16th century from the Caliph of the Ottomans."

Josie fingered the necklace, even more surprised that Klaus had given it to her.

"The stone is unique in that multiple enchantments can be placed on it at a time. Most magical objects can only contain one, two charms at most."

Elena and Jeremy looked at Josie and Klaus with curious expressions.

Josie bit her lip. "I… thank you again."

Klaus stared into her eyes for a second before waving a dismissive hand.

"I have many such objects," he said, hastily. "I should return home. Elijah…"

He didn't get to finish that sentence because Damon stormed in and pinned Klaus against the wall, breaking a few picture frames in the process.

"Stay away from her!" Damon shouted.

Klaus growled and tossed Damon out the bedroom doorway.

"I'd expect a better welcome, considering it was I who ensured Josie's safety this evening," said Klaus, casually. "While you lot couldn't keep your vampire hunter on a proper leash."

"Seriously, Damon!" exclaimed Josie. "I just got my room back, can you not trash it?"

Damon came back in.

"Sorry, Josie," he smirked. "I had to make it look convincing."

Suddenly, two more figures zoomed into Josie's room, followed by a third. Anna, Caroline and Damon held Klaus against the wall while Alaric ran into the room. Josie caught a glint of gold in his hand just before he shoved the gold dagger into Klaus' chest.

"What the hell are you doing?" exclaimed Josie, in complete shock.

Klaus looked just as surprised as she did in the few seconds it took him to go grey and veiny. Josie didn't know what to think. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Where had they gotten the gold dagger from? It must be the same one that Klaus had gotten from the witch coven in Italy.

"What? How?" She couldn't seem to form proper words.

"Sorry we couldn't tell you, Jo," said Jeremy, coming to sit beside her.

"Stefan told us about the gold dagger," explained Elena, sitting on the other side of her. "Damon noticed Klaus had it on him tonight, probably to use against Mikael.

That made sense. Elijah had his own dagger. Klaus would have wanted a back-up in case something went wrong with the white oak stake.

"We were hoping to really kill him with Mikael's weapon," said Alaric, sighing. "But this works too."

Anna and Caroline quickly carried Klaus' body out of Josie's room.

"My pick-pocketing skills are legendary," Damon bragged. "We just got lucky he decided to play white knight and walked in here without his pet hybrids."

Josie just sat there, still in shock. She didn't know what to think. Klaus was daggered. He was gone.


	43. Homecoming (Part Two)

"It's for the best," said Alaric, coming to stand by Josie's bed. "For everyone."

"What? He just saved my life," said Josie, angrily. "He wasn't going to hurt anyone."

"He kidnapped you, Josie. We weren't going to let him take you away again," said Alaric, frowning.

"He let me go," said Josie, shaking her head. "Why do you think he brought me here?"

"It's over, Josie," said Damon. "Klaus is daggered. End of story."

Josie scoffed and rolled her eyes. "And what about Elijah?"

"Elijah hasn't been around in a while," said Damon, dismissively. "And he spent the whole summer being carted around in a coffin by Klaus. Personally, I'm expecting a thank you card."

Josie frowned. She thought they were seriously misjudging Elijah if they thought he was just going to sit back and let them keep Klaus' body from him. Then she realized because Mikael had staked Elijah, they didn't know that Elijah was actually in town and working with Klaus this whole time.

"And Stefan?" asked Josie.

Damon's face darkened. "Stefan skipped town right after he saved Klaus and was released from his compulsion. Haven't seen him in hours."

"I'm gonna go check on Jenna," said Alaric.

He grabbed Damon by the shoulder and guided him out of Josie's room, clearly wanting to give the three siblings some privacy.

"How are you?" asked Jeremy, putting a hand on Josie's shoulder. "You died."

"There were no side effects or anything," she answered, testily. "Thanks to Klaus."

She didn't feel like she'd just died or anything. She wondered if she'd spent time on the Other Side, as was true of the Gilbert Rings.

"And how are you otherwise?" asked Elena with a concerned look.

Josie sighed, not really wanting to reveal the extent of her relationship with Klaus, even if she was pissed about what had happened.

"My relationship with Klaus was… complicated. I spent most of the summer hating him. But these past few weeks, it was different. He only took me with him to protect me. He thought Mikael would hurt me to get to him." She shook her head. "He was right."

"He saved your life tonight," said Elena, her voice full of surprise. "It's obvious he cared about you."

From the look on her face, Josie could tell Elena had some misgivings about what had just happened. Which was strange, because in the original storyline, Elena had hated Klaus with a fiery passion. Had Josie's influence made that much of a difference?

Elena and Jeremy sensed Josie's discomfort and turned the conversation to other topics. They told her everything that had happened since her absence. Most of the highlights she already knew from Elijah, but she mostly just listened as they talked, still trying to process what had just happened to Klaus.

A few minutes later, her phone rang. It was Elijah.

"He deserves to know," said Josie, picking up her phone.

Jeremy and Elena didn't say anything, just let her answer the call.

"Hey, Elijah."

"Hello, my dear. I trust you are well?"

"Still alive. You?"

"I've just returned from taking care of my father's body. Niklaus is not answering his phone…"

Josie sighed and told him what had happened with Klaus. She purposefully left out the 'who dun it's, though she was sure Elijah could guess. After she was finished, there was silence on his end for a while.

"And you have no idea where my brother is or who has possession of his body?" Elijah finally asked in a harsh tone.

"No," Josie answered honestly. "They didn't tell me about the plan. They're not gonna tell me about the after-plan."

"I see," said Elijah.

"What about his hybrids?" asked Josie, suddenly wondering about the pack that Klaus had built up.

Was the sire bond eliminated when Klaus was daggered? Like with compulsion?

"They have already departed, I believe."

"Oh," said Josie, a little disappointed.

A number of them had been her friends. She was a little hurt Mindy hadn't even wanted to say good-bye.

"You misunderstand me," said Elijah. "They were listening to this phone call and have already departed to look for their missing Alpha."

Okay, that made more sense.

"Right."

"I will find him, Josie," said Elijah.

Then he hung up.

"Was he really upset?" asked Elena, frowning.

"Hard to tell with Elijah," said Josie. "But he puts family above everything. If Elijah doesn't find Klaus soon, I don't know what he'll do. Not to mention his hybrids." She sighed. "You guys didn't really think this through."

"What were we supposed to do, Jo?" asked Jeremy. "Let him keep you prisoner forever? Use Elena has a human blood bag for the rest of her life?"

Josie scoffed. "So he deserves to die because he takes some blood from Elena every once in a while?"

"Are you defending him?" asked Jeremy, shocked.

"I would never defend the things he's done," said Josie. "I just don't think he deserved to be daggered."

"How can you say that after he took you prisoner?" asked Elena.

Josie laughed bitterly. "I wouldn't have said that, even a few weeks ago. Even after he was nice to me the whole summer. Nicer than I realized, I think. But, then… he let me go. He gave me this." She fingered her necklace. "He brought me back to my house tonight because he wanted to make sure I was safe and that I was with my family. And you used that against him!"

She couldn't believe how hypocritical they all were. Klaus had agreed not to retaliate for them raising Mikael. He had saved her life, after the fucking Scooby gang had endangered it in the first place by waking Mikael.

"He's still a monster, Jo," said Elena, though her voice had lost some of its earlier conviction.

"So is Damon. And Stefan," Josie shot back, unable to keep the anger out of her voice. "Stefan tried to kill both of us a few weeks ago. But I see he's still walking free. Ripping people apart left and right."

Josie sighed. "Can I… I just want to be alone, okay? It's late. I'm tired. We can talk about this tomorrow when I haven't just come back from the dead."

Elena and Jeremy just nodded and wished Josie goodnight.

Josie rolled over, thinking over what had happened. Klaus couldn't really be gone. He wasn't dead, dead after all. She was a lot more upset about it than she thought she'd be.

She laid there, trying not to miss his presence. She hadn't slept alone for the past few weeks. It was odd to be laying there without Klaus next to her. It didn't matter what she thought or hoped. She smiled- Elijah would find Klaus, he would be back soon.

She shook her head, burying her face in the pillow, trying to escape into sleep.

Josie was startled awake the next morning by Elijah calling.

"Elijah?" yawned Josie. "It's seven in the morning."

"Is it?" asked Elijah. "You'll have to forgive me. I haven't had a chance to sleep."

"You were looking for Klaus all night?"

"To no avail," confirmed Elijah. "I found the Salvatore House quite abandoned, though I did recover Rebekah's body. She'd been daggered."

"Did you wake her?

"Considering she was plotting against Niklaus, I believe it's safer to wait until we've recovered him as well. I cannot trust that she will be an asset to our cause."

"I suppose," agreed Josie, though she liked Rebekah and didn't want her to be daggered.

"There is something I need discuss with you. Can you please meet me at my residence as soon as possible?"

"Of course," said Josie, knowing Elijah wouldn't have asked if it weren't important.

She hung up and hopped out of bed. She quickly got ready and headed out the door.

When she got to the Mikaelson house, Mindy was waiting for her in the driveway.

"Hey Mindy!" Josie smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," replied Mindy, reaching up to rub her neck, where Mikael had bitten her. "You?"

"Okay."

Mindy smiled. "We're so glad you're here."

"Yeah, here I am," said Josie, confused. "You know what Elijah wanted to talk to me about?"

"This doesn't involve Elijah," she said, as they walked through the front door.

Josie frowned. "But he's the one who…" she trailed off.

There, in the grand foyer of the Mikaelson mansion, was Klaus' entire pack of hybrids. Elijah was standing off to the side.

Josie spotted Mason near the front. She smiled at him and gave him a big hug.

"Hey Mason!"

"Josie!" he returned, wrapping his arms around her. "Klaus said you would be okay, but it's good to see you."

"I'm fine… what's going on?" Josie asked, pulling back from Mason.

"We can't find Klaus," said Mason. "We're not sure what to do."

"Okay…" said Josie, looking to Elijah for help.

What the hell was going on?

Elijah smiled slightly. "It seems, my dear, that in the event Niklaus is… indisposed, his chosen replacement to lead the pack was… you."

"That was one time," frowned Josie.

"There's no one else," said Mason. "Klaus hasn't chosen a Beta."

"So pick one yourselves," said Josie.

Mason shook his head. "Everyone says Klaus chose you."

Josie sighed. It was impressive, the sire bond. She was sure if these hybrids were normal wolves, they'd never listen to her. She was not the right choice for this. She was not a thousand-year-old vampire/werewolf hybrid. She was just a normal, human girl who fell into the wrong universe and who sometimes got visions.

"One time, for a day and a half," countered Josie. "You need someone who's part of the pack."

"You're Klaus' mate," said James, stepping forward. "It should be you."

Josie blushed, trying not to look at Elijah.

"I'm not his mate!"

James smiled. "You bear his mark. I saw it last night. Of course you're his mate."

Josie looked down at her necklace with confusion. How was a magical necklace 'his mark'?

James sped over to Josie, whipped her around and lifted her hair from the back of her neck. All the hybrids started murmuring amongst themselves.

Josie was sure her face was bright red. James clearly meant 'his mark' to be where Klaus had bitten her. Why did Elijah have to be here for this?

"I don't think he meant anything by it," said Josie through gritted teeth, turning back around to face the pack.

James chuckled. "Maybe not consciously. He wasn't raised by wolves. Sometimes the instinct's just too strong."

"But I didn't ask him to… I…"

"It's just a mark," said James, shaking his head. "It's a sign of affection- territorial, mostly. So other wolves know you're spoken for by an Alpha."

Josie frowned, though she felt a little better. At least she wasn't betrothed or something. She put the other things James said the bite mark meant into a file drawer for later.

"Fine," said Josie, realizing the entire pack was still waiting on her. "Uh… Everyone must be tired after searching all night. Go and rest to be back to full strength. We'll meet back here at sundown."

The hybrids didn't look happy and hesitated.

"What's wrong?" asked Josie.

Why insist she be leader if they weren't going to listen to her anyway?

"You shouldn't be alone, Josie," said Mason. "We need to protect you."

Josie frowned. "I don't need a bodyguard. I don't have enemies in this town."

Elijah cleared his throat. "May I suggest accepting some form of protection for now? Niklaus has many enemies outside of Mystic Falls. If we do not recover him soon, you and the pack will be their first target."

Josie sighed. She'd hated her summer bodyguards. But she knew Elijah was right, thinking of all the 'Big Bads' that had been featured on the show, especially The Originals. She wasn't just responsible for herself now.

"Fine," she said.

Mason smiled and they quickly worked out a protection schedule.

After that, the hybrids disappeared, except James and Tabitha, who had volunteered for the first bodyguard shift. Josie suspected they felt guilty about last night, no matter how many times she assured them they hadn't done anything wrong.

Once James and Tabitha had gone to secure the perimeter, Josie turned back to Elijah, who was the only one left. He still had that slight smile on his face.

"Not a word about this 'mate' business," said Josie, still annoyed. "I didn't ask Klaus to give me some wolf hickey. He didn't mean anything by it."

"There's no need for embarrassment, my dear," said Elijah, still with that irritating smile. "Intentional or not, my brother isn't one for sharing and he does not give his affection lightly."

"I don't think he meant it to be affectionate…" said Josie, shaking her head. "It's Klaus."

Elijah tilted his head. "I had thought my brother's capacity for caring had long since departed, but there's no denying, he is… different with you. I should hope you realize that by now."

Josie shook her head. "He hasn't said anything to me."

Elijah smiled. "Perhaps he has and you have not been listening… That necklace hanging around your neck, for example."

"He was probably just tired of me complaining about his bodyguards," said Josie, dismissively. "He said he has lots of objects like this."

Elijah chuckled. "Did he now?"

"He's old and has a vast collection of oddities I'm sure," said Josie, not wanting to talk about Klaus anymore. "Now… what the hell are we going to do?"

Elijah nodded, recognizing that they did have important matters to discuss.

"Since a physical search proved fruitless, our next step should be searching through more… supernatural means."

"I meant about the hybrids."

Elijah sighed. "You were not here an hour ago. They were out for blood. I know that they agreed to listen to you, but you can only delay them for so long. They will go after the people who did this to Niklaus soon enough: your family and friends."

"So what? We bring back Klaus who'll just kill my family and friends anyway in revenge?"

Damn the fucking Scooby Gang. What a mess. She didn't want to think about how much she wanted Klaus back, nor why. But she didn't want to wake him just so he could kill everyone she cared about in Mystic Falls either.

"As astonished as I am to say this, I do believe we'll have a better chance of swaying Niklaus' actions than his hybrids. The sire bond is disturbingly strong. I don't believe your loved ones will survive the week if he is not returned."

"Alright," she agreed, perhaps a little too quickly. "Maybe we can reason with Damon and get Klaus back."

She was skeptical though. 'Reason' and 'Damon' didn't often go together. He should listen once she told him about the bloodline issue though.

Elijah started to say something when his phone began to ring.

"Hello," answered Elijah, clearly he didn't recognize the number.

Elijah frowned and put the phone on speaker so Josie could hear.

"Stefan, can you repeat what you just said?"

"I'm looking for Klaus," Stefan said. "He's not answering his phone."

"My brother had an unfortunate run-in with a dagger," said Elijah. "We're locating him presently."

Stefan chuckled. "Too bad for him."

"What do you want with Klaus, Stefan?" asked Josie.

"What are you now, Team Original, Josie?" sneered Stefan.

"I'm Team Nobody Gets Killed," countered Josie.

"Good luck with that."

"Enough," said Elijah. "Stefan, is there a point to this tedious discourse?"

"I have your family," said Stefan. "Your coffins full of Originals."

Josie gasped. She realized the hybrids who were watching Klaus' family must have joined the search for Klaus last night, leaving Kol, Finn and Esther unguarded. Fuck.

"No doubt for some revenge plot against Niklaus," said Elijah, tightly. "Return my family and we'll have no quarrel, Stefan."

"You know, I think I'll hold onto them for now," said Stefan. "For safekeeping. Maybe if you hand over Klaus' body and send his rabid dogs out of town, I'll consider returning them."

Then Stefan hung up.

No-humanity Stefan was really getting on Josie's nerves.

She looked at Elijah. She was sure the coffins were at the old witches' house.

"Well," she said, sighing. "Let's go get your family."

"You know where they are?" asked Elijah.

Josie tried to nod, but for some reason she shook her head 'no' instead.

"Perhaps a locator spell," said Elijah, disappointed.

"Wait!" exclaimed Josie. "I…"

She tried to tell Elijah that she knew where the coffins were, but for some reason her mouth wouldn't form the words. What the hell was going on?"

"Are you alright, my dear?" asked Elijah.

"I don't know," frowned Josie. "The coffins… Ugh!"

Her mouth refused to finish her sentence.

Elijah looked at her curiously. "What's wrong?"

"I. Can't. Say. It," said Josie, straining to get the words out.

"Where the coffins are?"

Josie tried saying something, but nothing came out.

Elijah looked worried. "You're immune to compulsion. Is this… something else?

"I don't know," said Josie, now getting worried.

What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she tell Elijah where his family was?  
"If you'll permit me," said Elijah. "Maybe I can help."

Josie frowned. "You want to get inside my head?"

"I promise I won't go poking around," said Elijah. "I would not ask if it were not so important."

"You're right." Josie took off her necklace and set it on a nearby table. "Go ahead."

Elijah raised his hands to her head and closed his eyes.

Josie didn't feel anything for a few seconds. Elijah appeared to be straining before her, clearly having a hard time seeing what was in her head. Finally, he gave a shout and a single image flashed in Josie's mind. An image of Esther.

"Did you see…" Josie trailed off.

"Mother," gasped Elijah, lowering his hands. "How is that possible? She's been dead for a thousand years."

Dead, yes, but on the Other Side. Why had Elijah seen Esther? Then a thought occurred to Josie- Had she met Esther on the Other Side when she'd been dead last night? Had Esther done something to her? To keep Josie from revealing information that would prevent the coffins from being found?

Of course, she couldn't share this revelation with Elijah. Whatever Esther had done (if it was her) was keeping Josie from spilling any information about her.

Josie tried to contain her anger. Apparently, there would be no Oracle shortcuts for this. They'd have to figure out how to get the coffins back another way. Not to mention Klaus and handling the hybrid pack.

"Perhaps whatever witch did this to you is using her image as a disguise," offered Elijah. "If we're to find the coffins, we're going to need a witch of our own."

"The only witch in this town I know would never agree to help us," said Josie.

Elijah nodded. "I may know someone."

Josie sighed, missing Klaus intensely at that moment. Klaus would have a hundred witches on speed-dial. Josie was pretty sure no one had died when Stefan took the coffins in the original storyline, but she couldn't remember what Klaus had done to get them back. Probably something super violent and manipulative, but ultimately effective. There was so much at stake. They had to prevent Esther from rising.

Josie looked at her phone.

"Damon and Elena are at the Grill. Damon might know where Stefan is. Klaus too."

"Let's pay them a visit, shall we?"

Josie nodded and followed Elijah out the door of the mansion, closely followed by James and Tabitha.

 **A/N: I hope the bite mark explanation made sense. It wasn't meant to be anything official in terms of Josie/Klaus and him 'claiming her' or them 'mating'. I put it in there to allude to the fact that Klaus might have deeper feelings for Josie than even he realizes (rest assured there will be an awkward conversation about it later) and to legitimize her taking the lead with the pack while Klaus is daggered. And I thought it could be a little funny. Elijah is discreet and respectful of course, but can you imagine Kol and Rebekah's reactions?**


	44. The New Deal

When Josie, Elijah and the two hybrids, James and Tabitha, entered the Grill, Damon was seated at the bar, next to Alaric. Elena and Bonnie were at a table not far away.

Josie and Elijah made their way over to Damon, watched closely by the two girls seated at the table. Josie motioned for the two hybrids to wait at a table nearby.

"Elijah, Josie," said Damon, getting up from his seat. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"We're not here to indulge in distasteful day-time drinking," said Elijah. "You may inform me where my brother is. And your own, for that matter."

"Sorry, Elijah," said Damon, frowning. "You can't have Klaus back… Stefan left town yesterday. As soon as he saved Klaus."

Elijah regarded him for a moment. "Normally, I am an understanding man. I am not generally violent and temperamental like my younger siblings. However, when it comes to my family… I can assure you, you may wish you had them to contend with instead of me."

"Just give Klaus back, Damon," said Josie, getting in between Elijah and Damon. "His hybrids aren't going to tolerate you keeping him for much longer."

Damon's eyes flickered to James and Tabitha.

"So get rid of his hybrids," Damon said, rolling his eyes.

"We're not going anywhere until we have our Alpha back," said James, suddenly at Josie's side.

"You're never getting him back," returned Damon. "So why don't you leave town before we remove you?"

"You and what army?" asked Tabitha, who had also just joined the group.

"Calm down, guys," said Josie.

James and Tabitha continued to glare at Damon, but didn't say anything more.

"Like I said," said Josie, turning back to Damon. "They're not going anywhere until they have Klaus back and you're not going to hurt them."

Damon looked confused. "What do you care, Josie?"

"Josie has assumed leadership of Niklaus' hybrid pack," explained Elijah.

"Seriously, Jo?" asked Elena, who had come over from her table.

"You're queen of the hybrids now?" asked Damon, incredulously. "How'd that happen?"

"It doesn't matter, Damon," said Josie, not ready to divulge the details of her relationship with Klaus. "Just give Klaus back before someone gets hurt."

"What the hell, Josie?" asked Damon, angrily. "I can't believe you're on their side. Leading his pack, demanding him back? I thought it was just a rumor that you were fucking that psycho." He sneered at her. "I thought you had standards."

"How dare you speak to her like that," James growled, hybrid face flashing.

"James, it's fine," said Josie, holding up her hand calmly, though inside she was pissed. Rumor, what rumor? "Damon doesn't know what he's talking about."

"So you aren't fucking Klaus?" asked Damon, raising an eyebrow.

Josie considered lying. But the truth was halfway out, might as well own it.

"No, I am," she said. "There's just nothing wrong with my standards. Klaus has a thousand years' experience after all."

She gave Damon a knowing smirk.

"Josie!" exclaimed Elena.

"Are you seriously that shocked, Elena?" sighed Josie.

"Let us return to the point," cut in Elijah, clearly having enough of the Josie/Klaus discussion. "My brother."

"You're not getting Klaus back," said Damon, stepping closer to Elijah. "We daggered him fair and square. You try and make a move, I'll dump his body in the ocean."

"Perhaps I'm not making myself clear," said Elijah in an eerily calm voice. "You will return Niklaus. You will get Stefan to return the rest of my family that he's stolen. Or I shall make life very unpleasant for you."

"Rest of your family?" Elena repeated.

"Stefan took Elijah's two other brothers. Their coffins," explained Josie.

"That's between you and Stefan," said Damon, looking at Elijah.

"I see," said Elijah, pulling up his cuffs nonchalantly.

Then, he grabbed Alaric by the neck, who'd been sitting quietly a few seats down on the bar.

"Leave him out of this, Elijah, please," said Elena.

Elijah just held Alaric firm. "I suspect it was you who daggered Niklaus, as the dagger will kill any vampire that dare wield it."

"I did," said Alaric, looking Elijah in the eye.

Elijah looked down at Alaric's Gilbert Ring. Then he snapped Alaric's neck and shoved the history teacher's body onto Damon.

"Next time, I may decide to remove his ring," said Elijah, casually. "I expect Niklaus to be returned to me by sundown. You can use this time to locate Stefan."

Then Elijah turned and swept out of the Grill.

Josie watched him go, annoyed for the hundredth time that there was some unknown force holding her back from just revealing where the damn coffins were. It had to be Esther. Who else would it be?

"He's as crazy as Klaus is," Damon spat after he'd carried Alaric's body out to his car and returned.

"Klaus is Elijah's brother," said Josie. "What would you have done if someone took Stefan? Are you telling me you wouldn't have snapped the neck of a guy who can't be killed just to make a point?"

Damon's outrage at the tactics of the Originals to protect their family was wearing a little thin.

"You realize that Klaus would kill us the second he wakes up," said Damon, shaking his head.

Josie sighed, knowing it was time to spill about the bloodline issue.

"It doesn't matter, you can't…" she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Oh no…

"We can't what?" asked Damon in an annoyed tone.

Josie frowned. Now she couldn't reveal the bloodline issue? This had to be Esther. Esther, who desired nothing more than to kill her children. She had clearly done something to Josie, maybe while Josie was dead and on the Other Side, due to her magical necklace. Josie wanted to scream in frustration.

"Nothing," said Josie, sighing. "You think the hybrids won't kill you soon anyway? Maybe if we offer Klaus the dagger back, he'll agree to not seek revenge. Or offer his family…. I don't know."

"You really are Team Original," said Damon, shaking his head before heading out of the Grill to take Alaric home.

Josie sighed and turned to James and Tabitha.

"Can you give me and my sister a minute?" she asked.

James and Tabitha nodded, returning to the table they had previously occupied.

Elena dragged Josie to a corner booth.

"How could you not tell me about you and Klaus?" asked Elena with a frown.

"When was I going to tell you?" asked Josie, rolling her eyes. "After you conspired to kill him? After you called him a monster?"

Elena's face fell. "I… I was so sure we were doing the right thing last night. Then Klaus brought you to our house. He told us about the necklace. How he'd tried to get you to stay away from the fight."

Josie shrugged. "He's not all bad."

"But he kidnapped you, Jo. You said you hated him for most of the summer. I don't understand."

The confusion on Elena's face was genuine. There wasn't any judgment there.

Josie sighed. "Klaus and I, it's a recent development. A week or so after Senior Prank Night. After he'd agreed to let me go. After he gave me the necklace."

"Oh." Elena was silent for a second. "Do you love him?"

Josie gasped. "What? Why would you ask me that?"

"I don't know," shrugged Elena.

"And what about you?" asked Josie, eyebrow raised.

"Stefan hasn't been the same since he's been back," said Elena, sighing. "Ever since Klaus flipped his humanity switch."

Josie sighed. "He hasn't been the same since we left Mystic Falls at the beginning of the summer. But that's not who I was asking about."

Elena looked confused.

"Oh come on, Elena," said Josie, shaking her head. "You really have no idea who I could be talking about?"

"Nothing's happened between me and Damon."

"Do you want something to happen?"

Elena sighed. "I don't know. I do feel… something for him. But part of me can't give up on Stefan."

"Maybe you need to put some distance between yourself and both of the brothers," offered Josie.

Elena tilted her head. "Maybe."

Josie's phone started ringing at that moment. She smiled when she saw Bridget's name flash across the screen. Bridget, Tracy and Colin- her friends who she hadn't seen since the beginning of the summer. Her friends who didn't know anything about the supernatural and thought she'd been in Guatemala the whole summer, building houses for the locals.

"Mind if I take this, Elena?" asked Josie. "I texted Bridget this morning to tell her I was back."

Elena nodded. "I should get back to Bonnie. We'll talk later, Jo."

"Bridge, hey!" Josie said, answering her phone.

"Rumor has it you're back stateside!" exclaimed Bridget. "Colin is organizing an impromptu brunch at his. Mimosas are being served in an hour!"

Josie laughed and made her way out of the Grill, James and Tabitha in tow. She planned to have a few hours of normalcy before Elijah's deadline arrived.

Her plan nearly worked. It was an hour before sundown and she was still hanging out with her friends (James and Tabitha were in the car parked in front) when she got a call from Damon. She considered ignoring it, but decided she should probably take it.

"He's gone," said Damon, before she could even say hello.

"What?" asked Josie. "Who's gone?"

"Klaus. Stefan figured out where he was and he took him. Added him to his collection of Originals."

Josie clenched her jaw. "Are you serious?"

"Do you think I would joke about something like this?"

"And you have no idea where Stefan is keeping them?"

"Do you think I'd risk Alaric or anyone else if I did?" asked Damon.

She did, actually. Stefan had shown Damon in the original storyline where the coffins were. Was this just a ruse to not give Klaus back?

She tried to tell Damon about the bloodline issue, again, in case they were stalling for time to really kill Klaus, but her mouth refused to form the words. What was wrong with her?

"Just keep looking," was all Josie said before she hung up.

"Who was that?" asked Bridget when Josie returned to Colin's living room.

"No one," said Josie, dropping back down on the couch.

"Was it Nik?" asked Colin, pouring himself more champagne.

"Nik?" Josie repeated, confused.

Bridget nodded. "About a week after school started, this new girl, Rebekah Mikaelson, told everyone that you were dating her hot older brother, Nik."

"What?" exclaimed Josie, eyes wide. "Why?"

Though this explained where Damon had heard the rumor that she and Klaus were sleeping together. Thanks Rebekah.

Tracy shrugged. "There was a rumor going around that you stayed in Guatemala after school started because you were too heartbroken that Tyler dumped you for Caroline."

"They've been hanging around together all summer," said Colin. "And then they hooked up at Elena's birthday party."

"But Rebekah told everyone that Tyler actually wanted you and not Caroline, but that you were with Nik and that Caroline was Tyler's consolation prize," said Bridget.

Josie sighed. "Seriously?"

Obviously Rebekah had decided to defend Josie's honor in the rumor mill. It was nice gesture, though Josie would have preferred Rebekah hadn't. The odd part was nothing had happened between Josie and Klaus when they left Mystic Falls and Rebekah behind. Josie wondered if Rebekah suspected something eventually would happen.

"Is it true?" asked Colin.

Josie frowned. "Dating is probably not the right word."

"But you hooked up with him, right?" said Bridget. "Rebekah showed us his picture. He's fucking gorgeous."

Josie laughed. "Yeah, he is. I don't think he's the relationship type though. Plus he's not here."

"Still in Guatemala?" asked Colin.

Josie bit her lip. "Something like that."

At that moment, she was hit with a vision. It was Stefan and Damon. They were at the witch house.

"Think she bought it?" asked Stefan.

Damon put his phone down. Josie knew that Stefan was talking about the conversation Damon had just had with Josie, when he said Stefan 'stole' Klaus' body.

"I don't know," said Damon. "The real question is whether Elijah will." He paused. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Stefan shrugged. "Bonnie said the witch spirits think the locked coffin contains something that can kill Klaus. We just need more time."

"I'll give you as much time as I can, Brother," said Damon, nodding.

When Josie came back to reality, Bridget, Colin and Tracy were staring at her with concerned looks.

"You okay, Josie?" asked Tracy. "You like, froze up for a second or something."

Josie smiled. "I'm great. Just tired. Long flight yesterday."

Her friends seemed to buy her explanation and started talking about the other school gossip Josie had missed.

An hour later, Josie made her excuses and went to the Mikaelson mansion to see Elijah. It was a little before sunset and she found Elijah out in the garden.

"Hello, my dear," he said, turning around. "Did you enjoy your first day back in Mystic Falls?"

"Somewhat," she answered honestly. "I got to see my friends." She paused. "Damon called. He says Stefan stole Klaus' body."

"And do you believe him?"

Josie couldn't open her mouth to answer. She sighed. It seemed anything she did or said to try and stop Esther from coming was immediately squashed by some invisible hand controlling her behavior.

She'd tried writing down the location of the coffins and couldn't even pick up the pen. She tried driving over to the witch house and her car refused to make the necessary turns. It was beyond frustrating. She hadn't really appreciated how awful compulsion was until she was experiencing effects similar to it.

"I don't know," she finally said, unable to say the truth.

"It's the truth," said Damon, who had just appeared at Josie's side. "Stefan wanted the full Original set."

Elijah blurred over to Damon and held him by his neck.

"How utterly convenient your brother whisked him away just as the sun was setting," snapped Elijah.

"It's true," coughed Damon, unable to breathe fully with Elijah's hand wrapped around his neck. "Stefan's off the reservation. No-humanity and all. You can thank your brother for that."

"So he would not care if I were to tear your heart out right now?" mused Elijah, lifting his free hand to Damon's chest.

"I'll get your family back for you!" exclaimed Damon. "Stefan's still my brother. I just need more time."

Elijah looked at him for a moment. Apparently, he decided to believe Damon for now, possibly concerned about what they might to do Klaus and the others if he got too violent too soon.

"I too understand the trouble of a wayward baby brother," said Elijah. "Tell yours I'm extending my deadline to tomorrow at midnight. If I'm not in possession of my family by that time, I can assure you my threats will cease to be idle."

Then Elijah threw Damon over the hedge of the garden.

Josie watched Damon awkwardly sail over the hedge with satisfaction.

Then she frowned. "So we just do nothing until tomorrow?"

Elijah chuckled. "Not to worry, my dear. The time for something impulsive and reckless will come soon enough. For now, let's see if we cannot resolve this like civilized vampires. My witch will be here the day after tomorrow. Just after the deadline passes."

Josie tilted her head. "So this is a stall?"

"Of sorts," said Elijah. "There is always the possibility that the Salvatore brothers give me what I want."

Josie just laughed. Then a thought occurred to her.

"Do you think your witch can help me? With my tongue-tied problem?"

Elijah tilted his head. "It is not her area of expertise, but she promised to do what she could. Her specialty is finding things."

"Josie!" came a voice from behind her.

Josie turned around to see Mindy walking out the back of the house.

"Hey Mindy. How's it going?"

"Good. Everyone's here," said Mindy, smiling.

Oh right, the pack. Josie, Mindy and Elijah headed back into the mansion. Josie knew that the hybrids weren't going to sit back and do nothing, so she told them that they'd been informed Klaus had been moved and they were going to re-search Mystic Falls and the surrounding areas. Elijah's stall aside, maybe they'd get lucky. Who knows?

Josie broke the pack up into teams, each with a leader and each assigned to search a different area. She insisted they not stay out past midnight and that they could resume their search the next morning. The leaders were all to meet back at the mansion the next afternoon.

After they'd all left, except her bodyguards, Josie turned to Elijah.

"Well?" she asked, nervously.

"You're doing fine, my dear," he said. "I do believe my brother would approve."

Josie shook her head. "I'm not doing it for him. Klaus and I… I don't know. I miss him. But these hybrids. They're good people. I don't want them to be forced into a killing rampage because of the sire bond or pack loyalty."

Elijah smiled. "Queen of the hybrids, indeed."

Josie rolled her eyes, but thanked Elijah for his kind words.

She was just getting in her car to go home when Mason came up to her.

"Can I talk to you for minute, Josie?" asked Mason.

"Sure," smiled Josie. "What's up?"

"It's about Rebekah. I want her back."

Josie sighed. "It's not my decision, Mason. She was part of the plan for Mikael to kill Klaus. Doesn't that bother you as one of his hybrids?"

Mason looked uncomfortable. "Of course. But Mikael failed. Klaus lived. We just have to get him back. Why can't we wake up Rebekah?"

Josie looked at him with pity. It was clear Mason cared for Rebekah.

"We will," said Josie. "Elijah doesn't plan to have her daggered forever. We just need to find Klaus first. And then… I'll do what I can."

Mason nodded. "Thanks, Josie."

Josie smiled. "Of course."

Shaking her head, she headed home with her assigned bodyguards for the evening. Thankfully, she'd managed to convince the pack that she could just as easily be protected from outside the house, with their superior vampire hearing and reflexes.

"Josie!" exclaimed Jenna as soon as she'd come through the door.

"Hey Jenna," she said, smiling and giving Jenna a big hug.

"We went to Laredo's and ordered your favorite," said Jenna, leading Josie to the dining room.

Jenna's tone was clear that this family dinner wasn't optional. Alaric, Jeremy and Elena were already there. Despite the forced family time, Josie was happy to see that Alaric and Jenna were still going strong as a couple.

"I went ahead and registered you for classes," said Alaric when they'd all sat down. "School starts at 7.30 tomorrow."

Josie smiled. "Thanks, Alaric."

"I can help you get caught up," said Jeremy.

"You're going to help me get caught up?" asked Josie, surprised.

"Well, Anna will help you," said Jeremy, smiling. "I'll provide snacks and moral support."

Josie smiled. "How is Anna?"

Jeremy's gaze darkened. "Her mom's pissed at her for helping us take down Klaus last night."

"I don't blame her," said Josie, shaking her head. "You didn't see Elijah today. Or his hybrids. They're determined to get Klaus back."

"That doesn't mean you have to help them," said Alaric.

He was clearly still angry that he'd been killed by Elijah. Josie didn't blame him, even if it wasn't permanent. The good news was that Alaric had only used the ring one other time- Josie had warned both Alaric and Jeremy about relying on them too much.

"You'd prefer I just let his hybrids kill all of you? Let Elijah torture Damon and Stefan into submission?" asked Josie.

"I prefer you look for alternative solutions other than getting Klaus back," answered Alaric. "But maybe that's what you really want?"

Josie looked at Jenna and Jeremy. From the looks on their faces, it was clear Alaric and Elena had told them about the exact nature of Josie and Klaus' relationship.

"What I want, is to resolve this situation without anyone getting killed," said Josie, testily. "If you have a solution, I'm all ears.

Could they not see that they had created this problem in the first place?

"Klaus is dangerous," said Alaric. "You shouldn't be trying to get him back."

"Is that what you told Elena this summer when she was trying to get Stefan back?" asked Josie.

"You know what?" said Jenna, cutting in. "No more Klaus talk at the table, okay? Isn't it Caroline's birthday tomorrow, Elena? What do you have planned?"

Josie listened distractedly as Elena told them about the decorations she, Bonnie and Matt had made for Caroline's locker.

She thought about what Alaric said. Was he right? Klaus was dangerous, there was no denying that. But so were Damon and Stefan. And Bonnie and Alaric, in their own way.

Was she a bad person because she missed Klaus and wanted him back? She sighed, feeling the bite mark at the back of her neck. It didn't matter. Between Elijah and the hybrids, Klaus was coming back.

She was startled out of her thoughts by someone calling her name.

"Josie?" said Jenna. "Josie, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just tired," answered Josie. "Long day. I'm gonna head to bed."

She didn't look at anyone as she went to put her dishes in the dishwasher and headed upstairs to the sanctuary of her room.

 **A/N: Thank you for all reviews on the last chapter.**

 **I know I haven't responded to the pregnancy questions. Mostly because I'm not sure. Josie believes that she can't get pregnant because she's not a werewolf, but that fact was never established in canon (at least I don't think?), so her getting pregnant is something I could do. (To be fair, I've read fics that go either way, so she's not a complete idiot for thinking that- it's what I thought when I watched TO). It's tricky because it's so early in their relationship and she's still young. But I do like Dad!Klaus.**

 **Plus, I haven't decided if I want to move this story to New Orleans or keep it in Mystic Falls. I'm torn because I liked a lot of the characters and some of the events in New Orleans, but I preferred Vampire Diaries overall. Or I may do a combo- move the story to New Orleans, but bring in some of the Mystic Falls events/characters, or vice versa. Either way, it's going to be different because of all the changes that have been made. As always, let me know what you think!**


	45. Our Town (Part One)

**A/N: I appreciate all the comments left about Josie getting pregnant and where to take the story. I'm still thinking it over, but whether I keep them mostly in the Falls or NOLA, I'll definitely include elements from the other place. There's still a fair amount of plot I want to cover before I would move them though.**

Josie had just put on her pajamas when there was a knock at her bedroom door. She was only slightly surprised to see Jeremy standing there.

"Hey, Jer," she said. "What's up?"

"Can we talk?"

Josie sighed. "Remember how annoying it was when everyone lectured you about your drug use last year?"

I can't take you hating me too, Jeremy, she thought.

"I'm not here to lecture you," said Jeremy, shaking his head.

Josie opened the door so Jeremy could enter. Jeremy sat at her desk while Josie took a seat on the bed.

"Is everything okay?" asked Josie. "Is it Anna?"

"Anna and I are great," smiled Jeremy. "It'll be a year soon."

Josie smiled back. "That's great! Congratulations!"

"Thanks… I just wanted to see how you were. I know everyone's trying to push you to choose sides. And that's shitty."

Josie smiled. "Thanks."

"And we haven't talked in months. I'd ask how your summer was, but…" he trailed off.

"This summer sucked," said Josie, matter-of-factly. "I really wish I had been back here with you guys. I'm sorry I didn't call more. I just didn't know what to say."

Jeremy looked surprised. "I thought Klaus took away your phone."

"He did," confirmed Josie. "But he gave me a new one like a week later. Once he was sure I wouldn't call in a rescue."

"Wow. Okay."

"Yeah, Klaus can be full of surprises. He's not 100% bad."

Jeremy hesitated. "Are you guys together or…?"

Josie shrugged. "We're sleeping together."

"So it's like you and Damon?"

"I don't know," said Josie, honestly. "I do care about him. I think maybe it could be something more… But then I think, it's Klaus. Who, I'm pretty sure, hasn't cared about anyone besides his family in 1000 years and I must be crazy to think it could be anything more than just sex."

She knew that Klaus was obviously capable of caring for others. He loved Hope fiercely and had fallen in love with Camille. But Josie was well aware that she was not Camille. Camille was older, sophisticated, intelligent. Klaus had liked and respected her so much, he hadn't even kissed her for what, two years?

Klaus was no doubt very attracted to Josie (the amount of sex they'd managed to fit into a few weeks was impressive by any standard), but attraction was a far cry from love.

Jeremy tilted his head. "Have you talked to him about it?"

Josie shook her head. "Yeah, talk to Klaus about his feelings? I think I'd rather spend another summer hunting werewolves."

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Couldn't have been that bad, then."

Josie laughed. She still wished she could forget this summer, but the past few weeks that she'd spent with Klaus building the hybrid pack had been like a balm on her wounds, even if her feelings for the hybrid were confusing.

"Well I did get to go to Italy. Of course, I also toured some of America's seediest bars, so…"

"Italy? Really?" asked Jeremy with raised eyebrows.

Josie smiled and told him about what had happened in Sardinia. Then Tennessee and Florida. Elena joined them after a while. Josie told them everything- her visions, her guilt of helping Klaus, Stefan's participation, etc. Josie felt a little more of the burden of the summer lifted.

Elena and Jeremy laughed with her while she recounted her drunken encounter with Matteo and then Klaus in Italy and held her when she tearfully told them about the werewolf battle in the Smoky Mountains. They talked long into the night until Alaric and Jenna came into Josie's room and scolded them about it being a school night.

Despite the difficult day she'd had (the coffins being stolen, assuming leadership of the hybrids, the Damon encounter, etc), Josie fell asleep the instant she turned off the lights.

The next morning, Josie got up early and headed to school as soon as the admissions office opened. She got her schedule, textbooks, etc. Her classes were a blur. She was saddled with so much make-up work for the weeks she'd missed, she didn't think she'd ever get through it all. Where was Klaus with his offer of a compelled diploma and trip to Paris when she needed it?

She saw Tyler and Caroline walking together down the hallway and smiled in their direction, wishing Caroline a happy birthday. She was happy for them and glad that Tyler wasn't a hybrid, but the situation did feel weird. Especially now that she knew Rebekah had been telling everyone she and Klaus were together. She wondered if Tyler had believed Rebekah. He was certain to find out it was true now, given Josie had told Elena and her own friend group that she had slept with Klaus.

Josie left school as soon as the bell rang to meet the hybrid leaders at the Mikaelson mansion to hear an update on their Klaus-searching progress. She walked into the house and found them in the grand foyer.

They didn't have much to report, except that one of the hybrids, Bill, seemed to be missing. Checking the map, Josie realized Bill was part of the group that was assigned to search the zone that contained the witch house.

Josie clenched her jaw. No doubt Bill was dead and the Salvatores were to blame. She hadn't really gotten to know Bill, but was still angry about his death. Even though she hadn't asked for it, she felt responsible for all the hybrid's lives.

"You need to be careful out there," Josie said, after hearing about Bill's disappearance. "Klaus has a lot of enemies and well, his enemies are yours now too."

The hybrids nodded.

"So what now?" asked Mindy. "Continue the search?"

"We've looked everywhere," said Mason, shaking his head.

"Elijah gave Damon until midnight to hand over his family," said Josie. "Including Klaus. Why don't you take the rest of the day off? Maybe do some training if you feel up to it?"

Better they keep busy.

The hybrids nodded and they all left except Mindy.

"What's up?" asked Josie.

"It's my sister," said Mindy. "She just went into labor."

Josie practically squealed. "Oh my god! That's awesome. Take as much time as you need."

Mindy smiled and gave Josie a hug. "Thank you! I'll send pictures. I promise."

"Have someone else from your team take over your leadership duties in the meantime, okay?"

Mindy nodded.

Josie felt a rush of air and looked up to see Stefan standing before her.

"What do you want?" growled Mindy.

"I heard you were queen of the hybrids," said Stefan, looking at Josie. "And that Klaus finally managed to get into your pants."

Josie narrowed her eyes. "Unless you're here to hand over Klaus and his family, I suggest you leave, Stefan."

Stefan looked at her with such coldness, a look she returned. It was hard to remember he'd been her friend and confidant once upon a time.

"You know, I don't like your hybrid friends," said Stefan.

"We don't like you either," returned Mindy, angrily.

Stefan ignored her and continued. "They're everywhere. Kind of like fleas. I want them gone."

"They won't go even if I tell them to, Stefan," said Josie. "They won't leave without their Alpha."

Stefan stepped closer to Josie.

"Get your hybrids out of Mystic Falls, or I will remove them myself," he threatened.

"How about I rip your head off instead?" asked Mindy.

"Mindy, it's fine," said Josie, putting a hand on her arm. "If you touch another hybrid, there will be consequences, Stefan. Serious consequences. I know you killed Bill this morning."

Stefan shrugged, not denying Josie's accusation. "Do whatever you want. I don't really care. Or you know what? Maybe I do. Maybe I care so much, I drop Klaus into the Arctic."

Mindy growled and started for Stefan, only to be stopped by Josie once again.

"I'm serious, Stefan," said Josie, staring him right in the eyes. "I'm responsible for their lives. Leave now."

Stefan just smiled an unfriendly smile. Then, in a flash, he plunged his hand into Mindy's chest and tore out her heart.

Josie screamed in shock. How could he do that? Mindy was her friend. She was about to be an aunt.

"Well…" said Stefan, smiling sadistically as he dropped Mindy's heart on the ground. "One down. You may want to send the rest out of town before there are more… consequences."

Mason and the rest of the hybrid leaders, five in total, sped into the room.

Josie's shock quickly gave way to fury.

"Grab him," she ordered.

Stefan was older and put up a fight, but he wasn't a match for five hybrids.

"What are you doing?" asked Stefan with wide eyes.

"What I should have done from the start!" shouted Josie, looking at Mason. "Bite him."

Mason smiled, extended his fangs and sank them deep into Stefan's neck.

Stefan shouted in pain.

"I warned you," said Josie, angrily getting in Stefan's face. "Mindy was my friend. She was part of this pack. Wolves protect their own."

"What's the meaning of this?" came a voice from the doorway.

They all turned to look at Elijah as he strolled in.

"What have you done?" he asked, looking at the nasty bite on Stefan's neck.

"No more than what he deserved," growled Josie, still furious. "He killed Mindy. And Bill."

"He has my family, Josie," said Elijah, though he looked down at Mindy's body with concern.

"You'll never get them back now," jeered Stefan.

Josie crossed her arms. "Only one thing will save your life now, Stefan. Where is Klaus?"

Stefan shrugged. "I'll die knowing you'll never find him."

"Perhaps you do not care if you live or die," said Elijah. "But I doubt the same can be said for your brother."

"You make a move against Damon, your family will disappear forever," said Stefan through gritted teeth. "You don't think we have a failsafe?"

Josie scoffed. "He's bluffing."

Elijah looked Stefan in the eye. "Perhaps."

Then he reached out and snapped Stefan's neck.

"What were you thinking?" asked Elijah, shaking his head.

Josie looked down at Mindy's body, trying to contain her tears.

"She was my friend. Her sister just went into labor. Now there's a tiny baby out there who will never know how great her Aunt Mindy was."

Elijah sighed and turned to the hybrids. "Take him to the cell in the basement. Chain him up and start bleeding him. As fast as you can."

The hybrids hesitated, clearly not comfortable taking orders from Elijah.

Josie nodded. "Do it."

The hybrids all took Stefan away, leaving Elijah and Josie alone.

"What are we going to do about Damon and your family?" asked Josie. "I'm so sorry, Elijah."

"It appears we are going the impulsive, reckless route," said Elijah, shaking his head.

Josie looked at Elijah's disappointed face, then at Mindy's lifeless body, and burst into tears.

Elijah sighed and took Josie's arm, leading her into another room. Then he wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his shoulder. And cry and cry. She didn't know how long they stood there for or what she was crying for in the end. Mindy? Klaus? All the people this summer?

Finally, she pulled away and looked up at Elijah.

"I'm sorry, Elijah. I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to put your family in danger," said Josie.

"I know, my dear," said Elijah. "Later tonight Stefan will be free of vervain and I can compel my family's location out of him. We simply need to ensure Damon does not move them in the meantime."

Josie nodded. "I can get a team of hybrids to follow him."

"That would be helpful."

Josie called Mason back from Stefan's cell.

"Take your team and find Damon," said Josie to Mason. "Don't let him out of your sight. Keep your distance, stay together and don't get killed. We just need to make sure he doesn't move the coffins or instruct anyone else to until the vervain's out of Stefan's system."

Mason nodded and disappeared.

"Elijah, I know I have no right to ask you this, but I… will you help me? With… Mindy? And her…"

Josie cringed, not wanting to say the word 'body'. That just made it real.

"I shall take care of it," said Elijah. "Go home and get some rest. I had hoped you would accompany me to the Wickery Bridge Benefit this evening."

"Why do you need me?" asked Josie, confused.

"Niklaus' hybrids are now important players in this town. And I do not speak for them. You do. However, if you do not feel up to it…"

Josie sighed, rubbing the bite mark on the back of her neck. It had become a sort of unconscious tic she'd developed over the past day or so.

"You're right," she relented, knowing getting the Council to not be Salvatore-only cheerleaders was key. It was what Klaus had done. "When should I be there?"

"Eight will be fine," said Elijah, leading her to the front door.

Josie got in her car and drove home. She took a long nap and felt a lot better when she woke up. She was still devastated about Mindy, but determined to get Klaus and the coffins back. She hoped Stefan was being haunted by visions of Mindy while he suffered from the hybrid bite.

Mason texted her all afternoon, letting her know Damon's movements. She felt like a stalker, but Damon hadn't done much of anything, just drank a bit at the Grill, went home and read some.

As she walked up to the Lockwood mansion at precisely eight, she mentally prepared herself. She had no idea what Mrs. Lockwood thought of her now that she and Tyler weren't together. Mrs. Lockwood had liked Josie well enough when she was dating Tyler.

Thankfully, Mrs. Lockwood greeted her warmly when Josie approached her and Elijah.

"Josie, darling," said Mrs. Lockwood. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Mrs. Lockwood. How are you?"

"Happy to see Elijah had returned to Mystic Falls," said Mrs. Lockwood. "It seems he's planning to bring his entire family here."

Josie could tell that Mrs. Lockwood wasn't actually happy with this development, but the woman was a politician after all.

"Once I'm able to locate them," said Elijah, tightly.

"We're all hoping for their safe return," said Mrs. Lockwood, politely.

Elijah just returned her polite smile and turned the talk toward the donation he was planning to make that evening. Then they talked of the hybrid situation (Josie assured Mrs. Lockwood that the hybrids wouldn't harm anyone while she was in charge) and the Salvatores, and how Elijah just wanted to live in peace in Mystic Falls, the place of his birth.

"Look at what the cat dragged in," said Damon, coming up to Elijah, Josie and the mayor.

"Hello, Damon," said Josie, not smiling.

"Hey Josie," he returned. "You wanna tell me why you had your pet dogs following me around all day? I told you before I don't know where Stefan is."

"That excuse grows old quite quickly," said Elijah, threateningly.

"Were you here to make a donation, Damon?" asked Carol, trying to cut the tension. "Elijah has promised a very generous sum. You know how we're chomping at the bit to begin the renovation."

Damon smiled tightly. "Carol, don't take this the wrong way, but you do realize Elijah is Klaus' brother. The hybrid who nearly killed Elena, kidnapped Josie and ruined your brother-in-law's life?"

"Wow, a year really makes a difference, doesn't it, Mrs. Lockwood?" asked Josie, sarcastically. "Wasn't it just last fall the Council was searching for the murderous vampire who killed what was it, six, seven people, plus a group of students? Now, who was that…?"

Josie tilted her head to the side, pretending to think.

"Careful, Josie," growled Damon. "Or I might convince Stefan to drop your boyfriend off the back of an ocean liner."

Elijah turned to Mrs. Lockwood. "Carol, would you excuse us for a moment?"

Mrs. Lockwood nodded and left Damon, Josie and Elijah alone.

Elijah turned back to Damon and Josie.

"May I remind you of where you are," said Elijah, calmly, clearly speaking to both Josie and Damon. "Now, I believe you have a deadline to be working toward. Midnight tonight."

"Stefan's disappeared," said Damon, who looked a little worried as he said it. "I haven't heard from him since this afternoon. Funny that's when your bloodhounds started watching my every move."

Josie shrugged. "I decided I didn't believe your claims of ignorance over Stefan's whereabouts."

"Bullshit. What did you do to him?" asked Damon, looking furious. "Tell me right now or I will drop Klaus in the ocean."

Apparently they were dropping all pretense now.

"If you do that, your brother's dead," warned Josie.

"What does that mean?" asked Damon, eyes narrowed.

Josie looked at Elijah, who nodded his assent.

"He had a little run-in with one of the hybrids. And from what I remember, there's only one cure for a werewolf bite. Good luck getting enough blood out of a body that's been daggered this long."

Damon looked shocked. "What is wrong with you, Josie?"

"What is wrong with you?" she shot back. "Stefan killed my friend, Damon. Tore out her heart like she didn't even matter. How many people has he killed since he's been back in Mystic Falls? Don't preach to me about the innocence of Team Salvatore."

"Where is he?" Damon growled.

"Who knows?" pondered Josie. "Could be anywhere. Don't werewolf bites cause awful hallucinations?"

She looked at Elijah, who was probably thinking the same thing she was. They had to keep Damon preoccupied until Elijah could compel Stefan. It should be soon. The hybrids had been bleeding Stefan all afternoon. Josie knew she should feel guilty, but she was still furious at Stefan for killing Mindy.

Damon turned on his heel and left.

"We should return to the house," said Elijah. "We will have to hope Stefan is free of vervain."

Josie nodded and they made their way to the Mikaelson mansion.

Stefan looked awful. The hybrids hadn't bothered to clean up the mess they'd made and there was blood everywhere. Elijah tried to stop Josie from entering the cell, but she insisted on being there. She'd ordered the hybrids to do this, she was going to face what she'd done.

"Come to admire your handiwork?" rasped Stefan.

"At least you're still alive," spat Josie, though she did feel bad. "Mindy's dead."

"Just another hybrid scum," coughed Stefan.

"That is enough," said Elijah. He gripped Stefan's head and looked him in the eye. "Where are you keeping my family?"

Stefan was trying to resist. It was clear. Had they drained enough blood? Damon could be out there carting the Originals off to who knows where. They had to get to the coffins, and fast.

"In the witch house off Route 70," Stefan finally answered.

"Is Niklaus there too?" asked Elijah.

"Yes."

Josie breathed a sigh of relief. Now they could just go get the coffins and Esther would never wake up and try to kill her children and every vampire in the world in the process. Klaus was still a problem of course. The hybrids would never stand to keep him daggered, but she didn't see how they were going to keep him from killing everyone who'd conspired to dagger him.

Elijah got up to leave when Josie stopped him.

"Wait," said Josie. "Can you fix him? It only seems right. Klaus used compulsion to flip his switch."

A not insignificant portion of Josie felt like they should just let Stefan die. No humanity was not an excuse in her opinion to be killing people. But, as angry as she was, Stefan had been a friend once. And he still meant a lot to Elena, so that meant no killing in Josie's mind.

Elijah tilted his head. "Alright." He turned to Stefan and compelled him. "Turn on your humanity, Stefan. Turn it on and feel the full weight of everything you have done, both to those you called friends as well as enemies."

Stefan's face was the picture of shock as Elijah reached out and snapped his neck.

"Shall we, my dear?" Elijah asked Josie, who nodded in agreement.

Both Elijah and Josie were quiet while they drove over to the witch house, followed by a couple of hybrids in a truck. Josie wondered what they would find.

Mason had tried to follow Damon when he left the Lockwood mansion, but as Damon was anticipating the tail, he was able to give the hybrids the slip, so they had no idea where Damon had been for the past twenty minutes or so.

Would the coffins still be there? Had her fury at Stefan and his subsequent bite cost them Elijah's family? Looking at the passing woods, she knew they would find out soon enough.

 **A/N: Curious if anyone caught that the hybrid (Mindy) I had Josie bond with was the one Stefan killed in this episode in canon? It really irritated me when I was watching the show that Stefan and Damon just kept killing hybrids like they weren't even people.**

 **Don't get me wrong, I do like the Scooby gang, but I felt like they were fairly hypocritical with the way they dealt with Klaus and the Originals, and as someone with a unique perspective, I think Josie would see this as well. They're not always going to be on opposite sides, but, for now, I hope it makes sense that Josie is leaning more toward Team Original.**


	46. Our Town (Part Two)

When Josie, Elijah and the hybrids arrived at the witch house, the first floor was empty. Josie, as ever, couldn't say that she was pretty sure the coffins were in the basement.

When they finally walked into the basement, it was empty save for a lone figure lying on the ground. When Josie and Elijah approached, they saw that it was Klaus, without a dagger in his heart. He looked nearly normal, barely grey and veiny at all, as Josie kneeled beside him.

She reached out and touched the rip in his shirt where the dagger had gone in. Where was the dagger though? Who had undaggered him? What the hell was going on?

All of a sudden, Klaus' eyes snapped open. He grabbed Josie's arm and pulled her toward him as he stood up and sped out of the house. Before she realized what had happened, she found herself being held against a tree by Klaus.

"Did you know?" he growled. "Did you help them?"

"What?" gasped Josie, bewildered. "Of course not. I… how could you think that?"

He didn't say anything, just stared into her eyes.

"Klaus, I didn't know. I helped get you back."

He backed off, looking surprised. "You did?"

She nodded. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"Right," he whispered, still clearly disoriented. "I…" he trailed off and just looked at her.

"It's okay," she said, giving him a small smile.

It's not like he didn't have a right to be paranoid, considering.

"I'm sorry for what happened," she said.

She reached up and touched his face. He leaned into her touch, though even as he turned to her hand, veins started to appear under his eyes.

"Don't," he breathed, pushing her hand away from his face.

He tried to take a step backward, but staggered a bit. Clearly the effort it had taken to grab Josie and speed her into the woods drained him of what little energy he had. They hadn't expected to find him awake here. Otherwise, she would have brought some blood bags.

"Here," she said, sweeping her hair away from her neck. "If you need blood, take some."

Klaus looked surprised. She'd made it very clear on several occasions how she felt about vampires drinking from her.

"I appreciate the gesture," he said, seriously. "It can wait."

Josie tilted her head, studying his face. He looked truly awful, his skin pale, nearly gray.

"It's fine, Klaus," she said, looking him in the eyes. "I trust you."

He was still hesistating, so she reached up and put her wrist near his face. Once again, veins appeared under his eyes and his teeth started to elongate.

"Stop it," he growled, tearing his face away from her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, frowning. "I've seen you drink from people before."

"Not you," he whispered, still facing away from her.

"Hey," she said, tugging on his arm so he was looking at her. "Your other face doesn't scare me."

"It should," he growled, letting his hybrid face show.

"Maybe," she conceded. "But I know you won't hurt me."

She reached up and touched the veins under his eyes lightly. His eyes fluttered shut at her touch.

"I trust you," she repeated, before cupping his head and lowering it to her neck.

After only a moment's hesitation, she felt his arms encircle her and pull her closer. His lips were a whisper on her neck and she could hear him breathing in her scent as he hovered there.

Even though she'd been bitten before, twice by Stefan and once by Damon, standing in the woods while Klaus pulled her body flush against his and angled his head to fit the crook of her neck, the whole act felt strangely… intimate.

She felt his fangs scrape her neck and winced as they sank in. Oddly, it didn't hurt as much as she remembered. Of course, neither Damon nor Stefan had been particularly careful when they'd bitten her.

Klaus held her tightly, his arms firmly wrapped around her torso as he drank. He only stayed on her neck for a few seconds before pulling away.

"Are you alright?" he whispered, looking her in the eyes, still holding her.

Josie nodded. "Are you? Did you take enough?"

Klaus smiled. "I'm alright for now."

He did look better. His color had returned and he looked like his normal self. He ran his hand down her cheek.

"Thank you, Josie."

"You're welcome."

He started to lower his lips to hers when a throat clearing distracted them both.

"Surely you can control yourselves until we have returned home," said Elijah, who had just appeared beside a nearby tree. "Right now we have other priorities."

"Oh?" asked Klaus, raising an eyebrow.

Elijah whipped out a handkerchief and handed it to Josie for her neck before explaining.

"Stefan Salvatore pilfered the rest of our family the same night you were daggered," said Elijah. "He was quite obstinate about giving them back. We were forced to bleed him of vervain and compel the location out of him."

"Where are they?" growled Klaus.

"Back in the house you just vacated," said Elijah. "However, they seem to be hidden by the witch spirits that inhabit this space."

Klaus looked murderous as he stalked, human speed, back towards the house. Josie followed behind him with Elijah.

Once they entered the basement, Klaus looked around the room with narrowed eyes.

"Witches," he growled. "A right pain in the ass."

Klaus shouted in pain, hands plastered to his head, as his words angered the witch spirits.

"Really, Niklaus?" mused Elijah, who was quite unaffected by the witch spirits. "You believe insults will encourage them to reveal our family?"

Josie smiled at Elijah's dig. She realized she hadn't had a chance to see Elijah and Klaus interact much.

"Funny thing about witches," Klaus growled, ignoring Elijah. "Is that living or dead, they care about their own. A hundred dead witches have a thousand living descendants."

Klaus gave another shout, as the witch spirits no doubt did not like where Klaus' logic was going.

"And I have no problem killing every last one of them if I don't get my family back," shouted Klaus.

Klaus let out a breath as the witch spirits released him, apparently not willing to risk their descendants any longer.

"As usual, Niklaus, your methods, though loathsome, prove to be effective," said Elijah, shaking his head. "Now, our family?"

Suddenly two coffins appeared in the space.

Elijah smiled, but Klaus frowned.

"Where is the other one?" Klaus asked, looking around.

"Damon," breathed Josie, realizing Damon had Esther. Fuck. "He must have taken it. He's probably the one who undaggered you."

"Why?" asked Klaus.

"When I couldn't find Stefan, I realized you had him," said Damon, waltzing down the stairs. "I figured you were draining him of his vervain to find this place. And that I didn't have much time. I know you wanted your family back. But something tells me what's in that coffin is a lot more valuable. That and the gold dagger."

Klaus growled and surged forward, gripping Damon by the neck.

"I will kill you and everyone you've ever met."

"Sorry," said Damon, smirking. "Same rules apply. Leverage and all. But, hey, I might be willing to give you the dagger if you heal my brother and let him go."

Klaus looked confused.

"Stefan Salvatore is currently in our home, surrounded by hybrids, sporting a rather nasty hybrid bite," explained Elijah.

At that, Klaus smiled. "Too bad for Stefan."

"Do we have a deal?" asked Damon, glaring at Klaus. "My brother for the gold dagger."

Klaus tilted his head, still gripping Damon's neck. He clearly wanted the coffin as well, but the dagger seemed the more clear and present danger, given the coffin was locked with a difficult spell. Josie wished she could tell him to forget the stupid dagger and get Esther back, but of course, due to Esther's tongue-tying, she couldn't.

"Deal," said Klaus.

Josie breathed a sigh of relief. The good news was that Klaus wasn't likely to seek revenge while the Scoobies still had Esther. If they opened that coffin though, they were all dead.

But Elijah's witch would be in Mystic Falls tomorrow. She could find anything, or so Elijah said.

"And my coffin?" growled Klaus, not releasing Damon.

"My brother first," replied Damon.

Klaus tightened his grip and threw Damon into the nearest wall. Not surprisingly, Damon sped out of the witch house in vampire speed as soon as he landed.

Elijah turned to Klaus.

"Unless my memory has completely failed me, these two coffins represent what is left of our family. Rebekah is already in my possession."

"I'll just go wait by the car," said Josie, wanting to give Klaus and Elijah some privacy while Klaus explained exactly who was in that coffin.

She climbed the stairs and walked over to where James and another hybrid were standing by the truck. They were overjoyed when they learned that Klaus was awake and Josie had to stop them from running into the house to greet him.

A little while later, Elijah and Klaus emerged from the house. After greeting his hybrids, Klaus instructed them to bring the coffins up to the truck.

"Come on, love," said Klaus to Josie.

"Where are we going?" she asked, when he led her to the car.

"Home. Elijah will meet us there."

Josie nodded and climbed in.

"How long?" he asked as they settled into the car.

"Just a few days."

"Miss me?" he teased.

"Every second," she said, honestly. At his raised eyebrow, she elaborated. "Somehow I got appointed leader of your pack. I'm more than happy to hand the reins back over to you."

Klaus looked at her curiously. "You instructed one of my hybrids to bite Stefan?"

"He made me angry. He killed Mindy," said Josie, trying not to choke up at the words. "Bill too, I think."

Klaus' jaw clenched. "Don't worry, love. He'll pay for that. He and his brother."

Josie sighed, feeling conflicted. She was furious at the Salvatores, but didn't want them to die. She didn't want anyone to die.

"We're having a memorial service tomorrow," she said, ignoring the revenge comment for now. "You should probably say a few words."

Klaus nodded. "What else did I miss?"

Josie proceeded to tell him everything that had happened in the past few days.

"And then Elijah was able to compel him and we found you," concluded Josie. "Damon must have known Elijah would undagger you, so he did it himself to keep the dagger to bargain with."

"Damon Salvatore," said Klaus in disgust, as they pulled up to the Mikaelson house. "Perhaps not as dumb as he looks."

"He's smarter than Stefan," said Josie, rolling her eyes. "Stefan decided not to take me seriously."

"He should know better," said Klaus as he climbed out of the car. "With your wicked temper."

Josie smiled bitterly as they walked into the house, still feeling the loss of Mindy.

Klaus' face was one of shock when he saw that every single one of his hybrids was in the grand foyer of his home. Even more so, when they all started hooting and cheering at the return of their Alpha. Josie knew it was mostly the sire bond, but part of her secretly thought they were fond of Klaus too.

Klaus was about to head up the stairs to his room, when Josie nudged him and tilted her head towards the hybrids.

"They searched day and night for you," she said. "If the witches hadn't been hiding the coffins, they would have found you. I'm sure of it."

Josie hoped she didn't have to spell it out for him. Thankfully, Klaus wasn't stupid and turned to address his pack.

"I applaud your efforts to find me," said Klaus, smiling. "Your loyalty and dedication to your Alpha are appreciated. Go and rest now. Until tomorrow, when we honor our fallen brethren."

The hybrids started to depart, most of them with looks of relief that their sire and Alpha were back.

Josie smiled at the pack before she turned back to Klaus, following him upstairs and into his bedroom. It looked less like a bedroom and more like a studio apartment. It even had a small kitchenette area, complete with a refrigerator that had a number of blood bags in it.

"So, are you not waking the others?" asked Josie, confused.

She thought for sure Elijah would insist they wake Finn, Kol and Rebekah now that Klaus was awake.

"Not yet. Not until we have the last coffin back."

Josie nodded. Suppose that made sense. Both Kol and Rebekah were kind of wildcards. Finn was no ally.

"You know what's in the coffin?" he guessed, finishing up his first blood bag.

Josie clenched her jaw, unable to say anything about Esther.

Klaus frowned. "Elijah told me something's holding your tongue. A bit of magic?"

Josie shrugged. "I don't know."

"Elijah's witch will be here tomorrow. After she locates the missing coffin, perhaps she can unbind your tongue. If not, I know of someone. And it will not take them three days to arrive," he said gruffly, clearly unimpressed with the timeliness of Elijah's witch.

"I hope she can help. Feel better?" she asked, after he'd drained the second blood bag.

"Much," he smiled, suddenly in front of her. "Here."

He bit his wrist and offered it to her. Josie hesitated. Wasn't this the 'intimate bloodsharing' she'd been trying to avoid?

"Josie, love," he sighed, when his wounds healed themselves. "Let me heal you. I caused your wound in the first place."

Josie sighed, thinking of what everyone would say if she came back from Klaus' with a vampire bite.

"Fine," she relented, taking his wrist in her mouth when he bit it for her once again.

"Now, shall we get you cleaned up?"

He ran his hand along her arm and pulled her close, his suggestion clear.

Josie bit her lip. She knew this was probably not a great idea. They were back in Mystic Falls. Nobody would approve. She didn't give a damn what Damon and Stefan thought at this point, but Elena, Jeremy, Jenna- she did still care what they thought.

Moreover, the feelings she had during his absence had confused her. Before he'd been daggered, she could have sworn it was just sex and a tentative friendship between them. But she had missed him. Not just his touch, but him. The thought of never seeing him again had been distressing.

But this was pre-Hope Klaus. He was paranoid, sadistic, murderous- though to be fair, she hadn't seen that side of him in a while, not since Senior Prank Night. And save for the beginning of the summer, he had never behaved that way towards her. Could he feel something more for her? Was Elijah right? Did the bite mark actually mean something? Or was she just setting herself up to be hurt by a man who could never return her feelings?

All thoughts were driven out of her head when Klaus lowered his head and kissed her. Despite all her misgivings, she couldn't stop herself from kissing him back. She sighed and enjoyed the feeling of his arms around her. One touch. That was all it took.

He pulled back after a few seconds and tugged her into his bathroom. She eyed the massive jacuzzi tub appreciatively and Klaus turned on the water.

"I reckon we should get a bit dirtier first," he smirked.

She blinked and found herself on her back on his massive bed. His lips were on hers in an instant, the length of his body pressed against hers.

Josie was in no mood to extend foreplay and stopped him when he tried to lower his head down her body.

"Please, I just…" she breathed. "I need you inside me."

He grinned wickedly and quickly stripped himself bare, doing the same to her. He kissed her again, checked she was ready (which she always seemed to be around him) and plunged into her in one, smooth stroke.

She gasped, enjoying the sensation of his initial penetration. He braced himself on the bed and took one of her legs, placing it over his shoulder to deepen the angle of their coupling.

Josie cried out his name over and over as he thrust into her roughly. God she missed this. The feel of him inside her, filling her, stretching her. Had it only been a few days? It felt like so much longer.

Klaus reached down between them and started rubbing her clit, sensing that she was close. Josie bit her lip, trying to contain the scream that erupted from her lips as she convulsed around him.

Klaus slowed down a bit, letting her come down from her orgasm.

"You did miss me," he smirked, running his hands all over her as he continued to move in and out of her slowly, still rock-hard.

"Mmmm…" she murmured, still dazed after her orgasm.

"No drifting off yet, love," he said, grabbing her hips and deftly flipping her over onto her hands and knees.

Josie gasped, suddenly facing the mattress. Though it wasn't much of a surprise. It had only taken a few days of sleeping together before Josie realized doggie style was Klaus' favorite position. It had been Tyler's too. She figured it must be a werewolf thing.

She definitely wasn't complaining. Not only did Klaus go deeper and fuck her more roughly in this position, he had mastered getting her off this way as well. She'd had her first multiple orgasm ever in this position with him.

The way his length was scraping against her g-spot with every thrust, she might just be headed for another one. Klaus reached around and played with her sensitive bud while he continued hard, deep strokes inside her.

She gripped the sheets for support and continued moaning his name into the pillow.

"That's it," he growled, picking up the pace slightly. "Come for me, my love."

A few more thrusts and motions on her clit and she was screaming out her release, stars bursting beneath her closed eyelids. She felt herself tighten around him and he came with a roar, spilling himself inside her.

Unable to hold herself up any longer, she collapsed on the bed and he fell along with her, still inside her.

He pulled her to him, unwilling, for the moment, to break their intimate contact.

"I'm glad you're back," she whispered, enjoying the feeling of his body against hers.

"Me too," he breathed into her ear.

Josie felt her eyelids getting heavy, the stress of the past few days weighing on her. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep in Klaus' arms.

 **A/N: Klaus is back, but the race for Esther is on! I hoped you liked the Josie/Klaus reunion…**


	47. Bringing Out The Dead (Part One)

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. I know the tongue-tying thing is frustrating (poor Josie), but rest assured, Klaus is back and he's way too paranoid to let this continue for much longer.**

"Where is she?" came an annoyed voice.

Josie blinked and sat up in Klaus' bed, rubbing her eyes. A glance at the clock on the nightstand told her she'd only been sleeping for about an hour.

"Where is my sister, Klaus?" Elena asked again, just outside Klaus' bedroom door.

Josie's eyes flew wide open. She scrambled out of bed and frantically tried to find her clothes. She found her underwear and jeans, but couldn't, for the life of her, find her bra and shirt.

"I know she's here," Elena's voice continued. "You can't keep her from me."

Groaning in frustration, Josie picked up Klaus' shirt and pulled it on. She yanked open the door to Klaus' room.

"I'm fine, Elena," said Josie, poking her head out.

Elena and Klaus were in the hallway, Klaus was blocking Elena from moving any closer to his room.

"What's the problem?" asked Josie, walking out and closing the door behind her.

"We're going home," said Elena, frowning at her attire. "Get your stuff."

"I'm fine here," said Josie, crossing her arms. "I have my car. I can get home all by myself. What are you even doing here, Elena? I thought you were celebrating Caroline's birthday-funeral or whatever in the cemetery."

"We came to get Stefan," answered Elena.

"Damon brought the dagger?" asked Josie.

Elena nodded. "Jenna said you weren't at home and you weren't answering your calls. Did you really tell Mason to bite Stefan?"

"He killed my friend, Elena," said Josie angrily. "Murdered her right in front of me."

Elena scoffed. "He's not himself. He had his humanity turned off."

Elena shot a nasty look at Klaus. It was clear she blamed Klaus not only for Stefan's behavior, but probably Josie's as well.

"You'd rather I'd torn out his heart?" asked Klaus, raising his eyebrows.

"No humanity doesn't mean no responsibility," said Josie, shaking her head. "And anyway, Elijah flipped his switch back and he's still alive. I didn't kill him."

"You just bled him dry to get your boyfriend back," said Damon, who appeared beside Elena.

Josie scoffed. "I'm not taking this moral high-ground bullshit from you of all people, Damon!"

"It's Stefan, Josie," said Elena, sadly. "He was your friend."

Josie sighed, her anger dissipating somewhat. "I know. I just… so was Mindy. You know she was going to be an aunt. Her sister just gave birth to a baby girl."

Elena's face fell. She clearly didn't have a response for that. Who did?

Klaus, who'd been standing to the side and, thankfully, not interfering in Josie's family drama, stepped forward.

"You have your brother and I have my dagger," he said, putting a hand on Josie's shoulder. "I think it's best you left."

"I'm fine, Elena," said Josie, stepping forward and giving her sister a hug. "I appreciate you looking out for me, but I don't need big sister protection. Just take Stefan and go."

Elena looked annoyed and shot Klaus a nasty look, but let Damon lead her away without another word.

"I'm sorry about that," said Josie, turning back to Klaus.

"I understand a complicated family dynamic, my dear," said Klaus.

She reached up and touched his still slightly damp hair.

"You got cleaned up without me."

"You were sleeping so peacefully," he said, smiling. "I didn't want to disturb you."

"A bath sounded nice," frowned Josie. "I suppose I should get home though."

Klaus grabbed her arm and pulled her flush against him.

"You're welcome to stay."

"I have to be up early. I have school tomorrow."

Klaus bent his head down to nuzzle her neck.

"I'll make sure you arrive on time," he whispered.

"Mmm… You better," she said, trying to suppress a moan.

She grinned when he bent down to pick her up, bridal style, before whooshing back into his bedroom and falling with her onto his bed.

He kissed her for a moment before pulling back.

"Couldn't find your shirt?" he asked, commenting on the fact that she was wearing his shirt.

"Yeah, sorry," she said, frowning. "I hope you don't mind. I didn't want to come out topless."

"I don't mind," he murmured, running his hands up and under the shirt. "It looks quite nice on you."

Josie laughed. "Nice? It doesn't fit me at all."

"I beg to differ," he smiled. "Feel free to borrow my clothes anytime you wish."

Josie frowned as he bent down to nuzzle her neck, pondering his words. Was he sniffing her? Was this another wolf thing?

When he stripped her of her clothes and his mouth started traveling south, she forgot all about the odd clothing discussion, getting lost in the sensation of his mouth and hands pleasuring her.

He allowed her to return the favor before he sped them into his bathroom for a quick shower.

He carefully washed the dried blood from her neck, as well as the rest of her, before lifting her up and fucking her against the wall of the shower.

By the time they emerged, it was late and she could barely keep her eyes open. Not bothering with pajamas, she fell asleep nearly as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She awoke the next morning to her phone alarm. Rolling over, she saw that Klaus was sitting up, sketchbook in his lap.

"Morning," she said, covering her mouth as she yawned.

"Morning," he replied, setting aside his sketchbook. "Did you sleep well?"

She nodded, yawning again.

"Tired?" he asked.

She nodded.

He smirked. "Let's see if we can't wake you up."

He grabbed her and placed her in his lap, legs wrapped around his hips, before cupping her face and kissing her. He ran his hands all over her, giving her goosebumps and making her shiver in excitement. She could feel herself getting wet and it wasn't too much effort to sit up a bit, place his erection at her entrance and sink down on him.

Her eyes fluttered shut as she started moving up and down on him, setting a slow, but steady pace. One he only tolerated for a few minutes before he rolled them over and started pounding into her. It wasn't long before she was climaxing around him and he was cursing as he came inside her.

He bent down to give her another kiss before rolling off her and laying on his back. She moved to his side, putting her head on his shoulder, one arm thrown over his chest, assuming the after-sex position that they'd adapted over the past month.

"I should get up," she said, looking at the clock. "School starts in an hour. I wanted to stop by the florist's on the way."

"Florist's?"

Josie nodded. "For the service this afternoon. For Mindy and Bill. Nothing too elaborate. Something simple and tasteful."

"I can have one of the hybrids take care of it."

"No," said Josie, shaking her head. "It's important that I do it. Don't forget you need to say a few things as well."

Klaus nodded, but it was clear he wasn't keen on the idea. Probably because he didn't know what to say.

"Just say something nice about them," offered Josie. "Mindy was smart and loyal and she knew how to barbeque. Bill had a hell of a right hook from what I hear. Don't worry, I'll say a few things too. She was my friend and it happened on my watch."

"It wasn't your fault," said Klaus, frowning.

"No?" asked Josie, sighing. "Being queen of the hybrids isn't all it's cracked up to be."

Klaus chuckled. "Is that what they called you?"

"Not the hybrids," said Josie, blushing. "It's what everyone else said. I didn't mean to assume…"

"I suppose you were," smiled Klaus. "Though admittedly, I'm surprised they preferred to follow you rather than Elijah."

"Elijah?" frowned Josie.

"He's my brother," shrugged Klaus. "And was the strongest warrior."

"You don't understand werewolves at all, do you?" asked Josie, sitting up. "They were never going to follow an outsider."

"Then, pray tell, why did they follow you?" asked Klaus with a raised eyebrow.

Josie blushed, thinking of all the 'mate' comments that had been made.

"I guess because you left me in charge before."

Klaus tilted his head, looking at her flushed cheeks.

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not," said Josie, looking away, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Josie…" he said in a low growl.

"What does it matter?" she asked. "You're back. I'm not in charge anymore."

"All matters concerning my pack are relevant."

Josie sighed. Clearly he wasn't going to let this go.

"They said they would follow me because they thought I was your mate. Because we're sleeping together and you marked me. And I know it's ridiculous, which I tried to tell them, but they wouldn't take no for an answer, and, uh, yeah…" she trailed off awkwardly.

Klaus frowned. "Mark? I don't… ah."

He reached out and ran his hand over the back of her neck.

"I told them it didn't mean anything," she said, lamely. "But apparently it's a wolf thing."

They lapsed into silence for a minute, while Klaus looked contemplative, still running his hand over where he'd marked her.

"That night," he whispered, breaking the silence. "Before I was to face Mikael. You told me you enjoyed being with me, building the pack. I realized I enjoyed it as well. Enjoyed… you."

Josie bit her lip. "So why did you…?"

Klaus's eyes flickered to hers. "I'm not sure. Seeing you beneath me, surround me, responding to my touch… I did try to resist, love. I know you don't wish to be bitten."

Josie swallowed nervously. "It's okay. It didn't hurt. I didn't even notice until the next day."

"I shall try to resist harder in the future," he said, sighing.

Josie tilted her head. "Do you think you'll want to bite me in the future?"

Klaus smiled lasciviously. "I always want to bite you, Josie."

Josie rolled her eyes and playfully hit him.

"I'm serious," she laughed. Then a thought occurred to her. "Did you want to bite me last night?"

Klaus looked uncomfortable. "I did bite you."

Josie frowned and raised her hand to the back of her neck. Sure enough, there was a fresh bite mark there.

"What the hell, Klaus?" she exclaimed. "Once wasn't enough?"

"It was gone," he said, not quite meeting her eyes. "Because I healed you."

Josie shook her head. "It really is a mark."

Klaus raised his eyebrows, ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Wolves are quite territorial."

"So you think I'm your territory?" Josie teased, eyebrow raised.

He looked over at her and growled, before rolling on top of her.

"You are," he said. "You share my bed. Apparently, you share the affections of my pack."

Josie was surprised at his tone.

"You're serious," she said.

Klaus reached out and ran a hand down her cheek.

"Yes," he answered.

"And you?" she asked, feeling a bit nervous. "Are you my… territory too?"

He looked her in the eyes for a few seconds before answering.

"Suppose it's only fair," he mused.

Then he bent down and kissed her. She returned his kiss, running her fingers through his hair. She felt him hardening against her leg and smiled.

"Again?" she questioned.

Between last night and this morning, they must have had sex half a dozen times.

"Must be the wolf," he whispered. "Territorial and all."

"Mmm… better give him what he wants," she whispered back, as his mouth travelled to her neck.

"I do find that's best," he breathed, his lips continuing down her body.

They were interrupted by Klaus' phone ringing.

"Ignore it," he said, continuing to kiss her breasts.

Josie was in no mood to argue, especially when his mouth encircled one nipple and sucked.

Then Klaus' phone rang again. And then it was Josie's.

She sat up a bit and saw that it was Elijah calling.

"This had better be important," snarled Klaus, answering Josie's phone.

"Temper, Niklaus," scolded Elijah. "I merely wished to inform you that I am heading out of town for a bit. It seems our witch has been waylaid at the airport by immigration. I am going to collect her, but we will not be in Mystic Falls until tonight."

Josie sighed. That much longer until they could get Esther's coffin. Granted, she was reasonably confident that tonight should still be fine. They had gotten the coffins back earlier than in the original storyline after all.

Even though every time she'd tried to pick up the phone to call Bonnie and warn her not to find her mother to open the coffin, she was pretty sure that not enough time had lapsed for Abby and Bonnie to open the coffin.

It was clear Klaus was not happy with this delay either.

"In the future, Brother, perhaps a witch that needn't cross all seven seas to reach us?" said Klaus sarcastically.

"I shall endeavor to remember that the next time we are in need of a witch and you are lying daggered in a basement."

Josie had to stifle a laugh.

"Just get her here," growled Klaus, hanging up.

"Tonight, huh?"

"I wouldn't worry, love," said Klaus. "They can't open the coffin. It's sealed with a spell."

"There are witches in this town," said Josie.

That are very capable of opening the coffin, she mentally added, but she couldn't say that.

Klaus looked at her. "Are you trying to tell me something?"

Josie opened her mouth, only to shut it a second later.

"I…" she sighed.

He shook his head. "Visions aren't much use if you can't do anything about them. If Elijah's witch cannot help you, I shall find someone who can. In the meantime, we should continue the surveillance of the Salvatores."

Josie nodded. "Couldn't hurt. Maybe you can distract them until the witch gets here tonight."

"I could tear out their hearts," said Klaus, growling. "Might distract them."

Josie's eyes widened. "You know you can't do that! There's always the old Mikaelson standby- throw a dinner party and invite your enemies," she joked, remembering they had done that in the original storyline.

"Now there's an idea," said Klaus, thoughtfully.

"I was joking," she frowned.

"I do love a good dinner party," he smirked. "An invitation to parlay may just be the distraction we need."

Josie rolled her eyes. "You have fun with that. I'm going home to get changed and get ready for school."  
She leaned over and kissed him. "Let me know when the witch is supposed to be here? I'd really like her to try and get rid of this tongue-tied thing as soon as possible."

"Of course," said Klaus, grabbing her arm to prevent her from leaving the bed. "But I don't believe we were finished."

He smirked and pushed her so she was flat on her back with her legs spread. Before she knew it, he had his face buried between her thighs and was thrusting his tongue inside her. It wasn't long before his tongue was replaced by his fingers and then his length.

By the time they were finished, she was officially late. She hurriedly threw her clothes on, gave Klaus a quick kiss and ran out of the mansion. By speeding home and rushing through getting ready, she managed to get to school (after a quick stop at the florist's) only a few minutes after the bell rang.

The day seemed to drag on until finally her last class ended. She headed home to change into a black dress before heading over to the mansion to help set up for Mindy and Bill's service.

True to his word, Elijah had taken care of most of the details, including a few additions by Klaus. The flowers Josie had picked out complimented the corner of the garden they'd chosen for the memorial. A local clergymen had put together a beautiful service, complete with a harp player and singer.

Klaus' words had clearly been carefully constructed, both to honor his fallen hybrids, but also to inspire the others to increased loyalty to the pack and himself. Josie, for her part, talked about how Mindy was brave and kind, and how she was an amazing cook. They had one of Bill's friends say a few words to make his part more personal as well.

Once the service was complete, Klaus released the hybrids for the evening. The pack was going to the Grill to give Mindy and Bill a proper send-off. Josie declined to go, saying that she wanted to get started on her schoolwork, but the pack managed to convince Klaus to join them for the first few rounds.

Josie smiled as Klaus and the pack left the mansion together. Sire bond aside, the hybrids were starting to feel more and more like a real pack.

"Josie?" came a voice from behind her.

"Mason," she said, smiling. "Aren't you headed to the Grill?"

Mason was never one to turn down an opportunity to drink, especially when Klaus announced it was all on him tonight.

"I wanted to talk to you first," he said.

Josie frowned. "If this is about Rebekah…"

"It's not about Rebekah," said Mason. "I know we need the final coffin back first."

Josie nodded. "Okay…"

"It's about Tyler."

"What about him?"

She hadn't spoken to Tyler since the night of Homecoming, though she'd seen him in passing at school. Tyler and Caroline appeared to be doing well. Josie was happy for them.

"He wants to become a hybrid," said Mason.

Josie frowned. "What? Why?"

"He doesn't want to turn anymore. Last month, he had to chain himself up and he saw how I didn't have to turn. The full moon is in two days."

"Did you tell him about the sire bond?" asked Josie. "And, you know, the dying part?"

Mason nodded. "Yeah. He doesn't care. I think if Klaus was a complete dick to us it would be different, but Tyler's been hanging around a few guys in the pack and most people have nothing but nice things to say about how the pack's being run."

Josie certainly hadn't seen this coming.

"What do you think, Mason?"

Mason looked uncomfortable, as if struggling to tell the truth.

"Klaus has been a good Alpha so far, but we're bonded to him. I don't know that Tyler really gets that. He just sees the benefits: not turning, speed, strength. His girlfriend being able to bench press a car doesn't help."

Josie nodded. "Okay, but why are you telling me this?"

"Will you talk to Tyler? I've tried, he won't listen. He thinks I'm being the overprotective uncle. That I think he can't handle it."

Josie frowned. "I think you have the wrong girl. Tyler's with Caroline now."

"Caroline doesn't understand the hybrids like you do."

Josie sighed. "What do you want me to say that you haven't already? Tyler and I aren't exactly friendly these days."

"Will you at least try?" asked Mason.

Josie nodded. "Sure. I'll try and find him at school tomorrow."

Mason thanked Josie and left to join the other hybrids at the Grill.

How was she supposed to convince Tyler that being a hybrid was a bad thing when she was sleeping with the man who was making them? Now that the hybrids were forming a real pack and Klaus was making an effort to be an actual Alpha, rather than just an overlord, was it really so crazy that Tyler wanted to be a part of it? She wondered how painful turning really was.

Josie shook her head as she grabbed her bag full of books, determined to make it through some of her make-up work before the witch arrived.

 **A/N: Let me know what you think about the Josie/Klaus 'mark' & 'territory' discussion. Klaus talking directly about his feelings (unless he's under duress or something) didn't seem super realistic (he was clearly too uncomfortable with the 'mate' topic and completely ignored it). I feel like he's more likely to use other words/actions to show he cares (whether on purpose or not). I.e. he's more likely to say 'you're my territory' than 'I like you and don't want you to be with anyone else' and (as some of you noticed last chapter) saying 'my love' rather than 'love'.**


	48. Bringing Out The Dead (Part Two)

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews on the last chapter. I'm glad people thought Josie and Klaus' conversation felt genuine and not out of character.**

Josie was in one of the sitting rooms of the Mikaelson house, trying to complete her mountain of make-up work, when Elijah and Klaus walked in with a woman Josie assumed was Amber, the witch.

After introductions, Klaus explained that Amber's first priority was locating the missing coffin, but that she should try and break Josie's tongue-tied problem as well.

"Stefan and Damon should be arriving quite soon for dinner," said Klaus. "Shall I have the staff set the table for four or five?"

Josie tilted her head, thinking.

"I'll stay with Amber," she finally said. "I want to get this muzzle off as soon as possible, if I can."

"Understandable, love," said Klaus. "Perhaps you can join us for dessert? I had the caterers make tiramisu."

Josie smiled. Klaus knew tiramisu was her favorite dessert.

"I'll just grab some after the Salvatores have left," said Josie. "Feel free to stick a salad fork in Stefan's eye for me though. Tell him it's from Mindy."

Josie understood that the dinner party was just a distraction while Amber did her work, but she still hated that Stefan had been invited for dinner in the same house where he'd murdered Mindy. Josie had felt some closure after the memorial service, but she was still furious at Stefan.

Klaus chuckled before turning back to Amber.

"Have at it, my dear," he told the witch.

Amber nodded and started pulling out her supplies.

"I shall go ensure the meal is ready to be served," said Elijah, exiting the room.

"Have fun," said Josie, sarcastically. "The Salvatores are a real blast these days."

"Until later," Klaus said, kissing her.

He exited the room, leaving Josie alone with Amber.

"Can I help?" asked Josie, breaking the silence.

Amber smiled. "I'm fine. I warned Klaus and Elijah- this may take a while. The coffin is most likely cloaked and it will take some time to break through."

Josie nodded and went back to the couch where she had been doing her homework. She heard the doorbell ring a few minutes later and knew the Salvatores must be there.

A few minutes after that, Amber started her chanting and hand-waving. After twenty minutes of that, Amber sat back, heaving deep breaths.

"That is one powerful cloak," she said, taking a sip of her water.

At Josie's worried glance, Amber gave her a small smile.

"I can break through it," the witch reassured her. "It's going to take a little while longer. It might get a bit messy in here."

Josie smiled. "If you need me to leave, just say so. Believe me, I want that coffin found… Here's my number. Text me when I can come back."

Amber smiled and thanked her.

Josie grabbed a few of her books and went into Klaus' bedroom. She knew she should continue working, but curiosity got the better of her, so she slowly made her way downstairs. She tiptoed over to one of the rooms adjoining the dining room to see how the dinner party was going. She couldn't see anything, but could hear the conversation clearly.

"Why don't we move this evening along and discuss the terms of the proposal?" suggested Elijah.

"Well, it's very simple," said Damon. "Klaus gets his coffin back. In exchange, he, and the extended Original Family, leave Mystic Falls forever. Me, Stefan, and Elena live happily ever. No grudges."

"Deal sounds fair, brother," said Elijah.

"And what of Josie?" asked Klaus.

"She stays with her family," answered Damon.

Klaus let out a low growl, but then seemed to remember himself. Or maybe Elijah had given him a look, who knows?

"I don't think you understand," said Klaus. "Elena's doppelganger blood ensures I will always have more hybrids to fight those that oppose me. And Josie's gifts in the wrong hands would threaten my entire family. I will never leave them behind."

There was an uncomfortable pause.

"Let's say I do leave them behind," continued Klaus. "Under your protection. How long before one of you turns Elena into a vampire? Or worse, how long before she dies, caught between your feuding? And yes, perhaps Josie will be safe from your meddling, but what of the rest of the world? You can't possibly hope to protect her."

"On this count, I believe my brother may be right," said Elijah. "It is very likely that only his presence has protected Josie from those that would seek to possess an Oracle."

"How do you see this playing out then, Klaus?" asked Damon in an annoyed tone. "You put something on the table. We've made our offer. Now you counter."

"Okay," said Klaus. "I offer Elena's future happiness. You see what she needs is to fall in love with a human. Maybe that nice football player. You know, the blonde one."

"Matt Donovan, really?" asked Damon.

"Yeah, why not?" asked Klaus. "They'll marry. Have a long, fruitful life and pop out a perfect family."

"And continue the Petrova bloodline. Every few hundred years you'll have a new doppelganger so you'll never run out of hybrids," said Stefan.

"Consider it a small return on my investment in her well-being," said Klaus. "You see, after you hand me back the coffin, I'll ensure her safety for the rest of her natural life. You know it's what's best for her."

"And what about Josie?" asked Damon, tightly.

Josie smiled. Despite her and Damon's recent fighting, it was nice to know that he cared enough to ask.

"As my brother indicated, it's simply not safe for her to remain outside the bounds of my protection. It's best she remain by my side," answered Klaus.

"What, she doesn't get a Matt Donovan of her own?" sneered Stefan.

"There's no reason to suggest that her being an Oracle is tied to her bloodline. She's free to be with whomever she wishes."

"Even you," said Damon, darkly.

Klaus growled. "She's already with me."

"Even more reason for you to make a swift exit," said Damon.

Either Klaus or Damon must have made some type of aggressive move because she heard a few thumps and then what sounded like something breaking. The next voice she heard was Elijah's calming tone.

"Gentlemen, please."

There was a short pause, then Klaus spoke.

"So, that's my offer. Do we have a deal?"

Josie looked down at her phone and saw that Amber had texted her, saying she was ready to begin the spell. Josie reluctantly tiptoed back up the stairs to the sitting room.

"So you found the coffin?" asked Josie.

Amber nodded. "I just texted the location to Klaus and Elijah."

Josie smiled. "Awesome. As soon as they get rid of the Salvatores, they can go get it. So… we're ready to de-muzzle me?"

Amber tilted her head. "I'll do what I can. Depending on what was done to you, I can't promise to reverse it. You'll need to take off your necklace."

Josie took off her necklace and went to sit in front of Amber, inside the circle of herbs that the witch had poured.

Amber held her hands up to Josie's head and began chanting. At first nothing happened, then Amber started chanting louder, faster.

It began as a tiny pinprick in the back of Josie's mind. The pinprick grew larger and more painful as Amber chanted on. Blood began dripping from the witch's nose as she continued chanting.

Josie bit her lip as pain seemed to reverberate around her skull. It felt like a million tiny bowling balls crashing violently in her brain. Finally, Amber's chanting reached a fever pitch and Josie screamed, the pounding in her head becoming unbearable. She collapsed to the floor, the last thing she saw was Amber joining her on the ground, before they both lost consciousness.

When Josie woke up, her head still hurt. She was on the couch of the sitting room.

"What happened?" she mumbled, sitting up.

She nearly screamed when she saw Esther looking down at her.

"What are you doing here?" Josie asked. "Am I… on the Other Side?"

"No," said Esther. "I have just returned from there."

Josie's heart sank.

"What?" exclaimed Josie. "You're… you…"

Esther was back. She was really back. Esther's muzzling had worked and Josie had failed. Of course she had, what did she expect when you opposed the Original Witch?

Josie looked around and realized she was alone in the room with Esther.

"Where is Klaus?" Josie asked, getting ready to scream if need be.

"Niklaus and Elijah are waking up my other children," said Esther.

"Of course. So you can be a family again, right?" asked Josie, sarcastically.

Esther sighed. "I am not your enemy, Josie."

Josie scoffed. "You've got to be joking. You did something to me, didn't you? To keep me from stopping you."

"The censor spell was necessary, I'm afraid," said Esther. "It still is. My return didn't alter it. You cannot stop me."

Josie narrowed her eyes. "So, what? Did you come to gloat?"

Esther sighed. "I had hoped you would see reason. But I will honor my promise regardless."

Josie was confused. "Promise?"

"Yes. If you allow me to, I can restore your memories of the first time we met. When my husband killed you and your necklace brought you to the Other Side."

Josie looked at Esther suspiciously. "I'm not letting you inside my head."

"It won't hurt," said Esther, holding up her hand. "And it will help you understand."

Before Josie could protest, she felt a sharp pain in her head and then, in a flash that was almost like a vision, she remembered what had happened while she'd been on the Other Side.

 _A Few Days Before- The Other Side_

 _Josie sat up, gasping awake. Blinking, she took in her surroundings. She was lying on the front lawn of a house._

 _What the hell was going on? She had been at the Lockwoods. Mikael had her and Klaus was there, and then Mikael stabbed her. She looked down, but the wound was gone._

 _There was no one around, though she could see lights in the house and shadows moving, which meant people were home. How had she gotten here, lying on the ground in front of a strange house?_

 _"You're alright, my dear," said a voice from behind her._

 _Josie turned around and saw Esther standing just a few feet away from her._

 _"What the hell?" Josie exclaimed, scrambling to her feet and backing away from Esther._

 _"Don't be alarmed," said Esther, holding up her hands. "I won't hurt you."_

 _Josie shook her head. "What's going on? How are you here? Or am I…?" Her heart dropped. "I'm dead."_

 _"It's only temporary," said Esther. "The necklace my son gave you. It will bring you back."_

 _"Like the Gilbert Rings?" frowned Josie, looking around. "This is the Other Side."_

 _"Yes," nodded Esther. "You should already feel the pull of your body."_

 _Josie nodded. "Like I'm being drawn in… that direction."_

 _She spun around and started walking, not wanting to be in Esther's presence any longer._

 _"You know who I am," said Esther, falling into step beside Josie._

 _It wasn't a question._

 _"You're the Original Witch. The one who turned your children and your husband into vampires. The one who cursed Klaus."_

 _"I was only trying to help…"_

 _Josie stopped and held up her hand. "Look, Esther. I'm going to stop you right there. Since all you can do is watch from over here, I'm going to guess that you know who I am and what I know. Hell, maybe you even know why I'm here. I don't know. But what I do know is that there is no way in hell you are going to convince me that you are the good guy in all this."_

 _"I know. I only wish to right the wrong I committed." said Esther, sadly._

 _"By killing your own children?" exclaimed Josie, continuing to walk again. "They deserve to live. After you robbed them of the chance at a normal life."_

 _"You're right," said Esther._

 _Josie stopped in her tracks, shocked. "What?"_

 _"It has been my intention for many years now to return to the world in order to destroy the evil I created. I have not wavered in that intention, but seeing Niklaus bond with his pack, returning to his roots as an Alpha werewolf, a life my sweet Ansel desperately wanted for him, I think perhaps you are right."_

 _Josie frowned. "I don't understand."_

 _Esther tilted her head as if scrutinizing Josie._

 _"Do you love my son?" asked Esther._

 _"I… I care about him," said Josie, not sure exactly how she felt about Klaus. "I don't want him to die."_

 _"But you can never have a normal life with him," continued Esther. "A marriage, a family. If I undo the spell that made them vampires, he can be with you, as a mortal werewolf. You can have children together, grow old with him. Don't you see? That mark you bear? That's his Alpha wolf recognizing its counterpart."_

 _Esther turned around and lifted her hair, showing a very faint, but similar mark on her own neck._

 _"I would know, my dear. I also knew the love of an Alpha."_

 _Josie reached up to her neck and felt her own, fresher mark. For a split second, Josie imagined what a life with human Klaus would be like- marriage, kids, birthdays, anniversaries. Then she dismissed the notion just as quickly. Klaus preferred being a vampire and Esther, despite what she claimed her new goal was, had to be stopped._

 _"Shouldn't they be able to choose for themselves?" asked Josie._

 _Esther looked angry. "My children will be human or they will die."_

 _"Wow," said Josie, shaking her head. Then a thought occurred to her. "What about their vampire descendants? What will happen to their sirelines when they become mortal?"_

 _Esther's face hardened. "Vampires are a plague upon this earth. It is my duty to ensure their kind are gone within the next generation."_

 _Josie couldn't help the gasp that released from her. She knew that Esther had planned to wipe out the entire vampire species, but to hear this woman talk so casually of genocide…_

 _"You're talking about killing thousands of people," said Josie angrily. "I won't let you."_

 _"You cannot stop it. My return is at hand. The spirits have been whispering."_

 _"You will never return to the land of the living," said Josie, continuing to march in the direction she felt her body lay. "I'll make sure of it."_

 _"It is not within your power to prevent," said Esther, grabbing Josie's arm and murmuring some quick words._

 _Josie felt an invisible force spread through her head like water and vanish just as quickly._

 _"What did you do to me?" Josie asked, holding her hand to her head._

 _"Just something to ensure you cannot use your abilities to prevent my return," said Esther, backing away. "I'll be seeing you soon, my dear. But I promise you, I will do everything in my power to make them whole again. You are right, they deserve to have a normal, mortal life."_

 _Josie watched her walk away. She considered running after Esther, but knew Esther wouldn't undo whatever spell she'd just done. Sighing, Josie continued walking in the direction she was sure her body was._

When Josie came back to reality, Esther was still standing over her. Josie blinked, realizing what the promise was. Esther had decided not to kill her children, just turn them human again, more like her intentions in The Originals.

"I remember," breathed Josie.

"So you see, my dear," said Esther. "I am not your enemy. I am here to help you and my children."

"I don't think they want your help," said Josie with narrowed eyes.

"Their desires are irrelevant."

Josie didn't like the look in Esther's eyes and made a quick decision. What kind of scary spell would Esther perform on her next?

"Klaus!" Josie screamed at the top of her lungs. "Klaus!"

Klaus appeared in the doorway of the sitting room almost immediately and Josie ran to him.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

"Nothing… sorry," said Josie, not wanting to say anything in front of Esther, not that she could, with the stupid 'censor' spell in place. "I just woke up and was disoriented."

Klaus nodded. "I see you've met my mother, Esther. Mother, this is Josie."

Josie gave a fake smile. "Nice to meet you, Esther."

"You as well, my dear," said Esther.

"Kol, Finn and Rebekah have been undaggered," said Klaus, turning to Esther. "They should be rising soon. Elijah is seeing to them."

Klaus quickly explained everything that had transpired while Josie had been out. That he, Elijah and the Salvatores were just finishing dinner when Esther came in, saying she was here to reunite her family. That they were waking up the rest of the siblings and were planning to live here in Mystic Falls in peace together.

He also explained, with a sour face, that meant no exacting revenge on others for past actions.

"That's great, Klaus," said Josie, trying for a smile. "I'm happy for you… I should go though." She did not want to spend another second with Esther. "I want to give you guys your privacy."

"You needn't go," said Klaus, frowning.

"It's fine," said Josie, smiling at him. "It's a time for family. Give Elijah my best. Rebekah too."

She grabbed her bag, gave him a quick kiss and left the room. Thankfully, she made it to her car and was on the road without anyone interrupting.

When she got home, Elena was in the kitchen. Elena left almost immediately when Josie came in to get a drink, saying she was late to meet Bonnie and Matt at the Grill. It was clear she was still pissed at Josie about Stefan's bite.

Josie was just crawling into bed when there was a rush of air. She smiled when she saw Klaus standing in her room.

"I thought we already said goodnight?" asked Josie, coming to stand in front of him.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright," said Klaus, running his hands down her arms. "You seemed… different when you left."

Josie shrugged. "It was just a shock, you know. The spell Amber did gave me an awful headache, then seeing your mother. I've had visions of her, but she was dead."

Klaus sighed, his face betraying his inner anguish. "I hadn't seen her face in a thousand years. Not since I…"

Josie cut him off. "It's okay. I know, remember?"

Klaus nodded and bent to give her a kiss.

"Are you okay?" Josie asked, pulling away. "Waking up the rest of your siblings and seeing your mother return in the same night…"

She knew this had to be hard for him, even without knowing his mother's true intentions.

"Fine, love," he replied, though it seemed clear from his expression that he wasn't really fine.

Josie gave him a small smile and grabbed his hand, leading him over to the bed.

"Stay with me?" she asked, linking her fingers with his.

He smiled and let her undress him. She threw back the covers and she laid next to him, her head on his shoulder, her body pressed against his side.

They laid there in silence for a while, Josie drawing random patterns on his chest, Klaus stroking her back, until Josie spoke up.

"Do you ever think about what your life would have been like if you hadn't been turned into a vampire?"

Klaus frowned. "Not in a long time. After tonight… The last time my family was whole and happy, save perhaps Mikael, was when we were human."

"Before Henrik died?"

"Yes. Father was a tyrant, but he often went on hunting trips. Elijah played music and we would dance around the table after supper. Mother would tell us stories of the old world…"

Josie just listened as Klaus told her of his early life. His childhood with Mikael as a father, Esther as a mother, his bond with his other siblings. How he always felt different. How he felt when he learned of his real father, his rage at his mother's betrayal.

A lot of it she already knew, of course, but hearing it from his lips, her heart ached for him. It was such a contrast to the arrogant, strong Original Hybrid he showed the rest of the world. She was flattered as she knew he didn't share this side of him with just anyone.

He trailed off after a while and they lapsed into silence once again. It was a few minutes later that she realized he'd fallen asleep. She rolled over, with the intention of setting her alarm clock, when she realized this was the first time they'd been in a bed together and hadn't had sex.

She noticed that she had a text message from Elena.

'Watch out' it said. 'Rebekah is back. She already tried to attack me for daggering her.'

Josie bit her lip. Obviously Josie didn't want Elena to die, but she didn't blame Rebekah for being angry. Elena had literally stabbed Rebekah in the back. Klaus and Elijah would protect Elena though, so it should be okay.

Josie started to write back. 'Be careful, then. Now that Esther's back, we're going to need all the Mikaelsons on our side if we're going to protect everyone.'

Because it was so late, Josie took a second to realize what she'd typed. Frowning, she continued to type into her phone.

'Esther is trying to turn her children back into humans, which means they'll die, probably soon with all their enemies, which means all vampires will die because their Original Vampire sires will be dead.'

Josie blinked, unable to believe what she was seeing. Despite passing out during the middle of the spell, Amber had done it. Josie was no longer affected by Esther's censor spell. She could tell the Scoobies and the Originals all she knew. She quickly saved the text and placed her phone back on the nightstand.

She glanced over at Klaus. She considered waking him, but decided to let him sleep. He would hear about his homicidal mother and her plans tomorrow. They all would.

 **A/N: So I woke up Esther. She was just too good a villain to pass up and I need her for a few things. Also, she's the Original Witch. Like Klaus, I just don't know that it was realistic that Josie would be able to defeat her so easily. Don't worry, as you can see, her arc is going to be somewhat different. But, Josie has her voice back, so it's game on :P**

 **FYI for people who haven't seen The Originals (spoiler alert)- Ansel is Klaus' biological father and he was an Alpha werewolf himself. And it wasn't just some fling Esther had, they fell in love and only separated because Esther got pregnant with Klaus and Mikael was one scary dude. Ansel wanted to be a father to Klaus and raise him as one of his pack, but Esther kept them apart because, again, Mikael was a scary dude.**

 **So I think it's reasonable that if Esther had seen Klaus embracing being part of his pack, assuming the role of Alpha, marking Josie, she might scale back her plans to kill her kids and just turn them mortal (it was her goal in The Originals).**


	49. Dangerous Liaisons (Part One)

A groan tore from Klaus' throat and Josie smiled, continuing to suck him into her mouth, tongue swirling around as her hand stroked the base of him.

She'd woken up before Klaus, a rare event, and decided to take advantage by crawling underneath the sheets and waking him up the same way he'd woken her up a few times before.

Josie felt his hands on her head, kneading his fingers through her hair as she continued to bob up and down on him.

"Josie, love," his voice a whisper. "I…"

He abruptly pulled her off him and she looked into his eyes, wondering if something was wrong. He just grinned wickedly.

"My turn."

He lifted her by her hips, nudged her legs apart and brought her to the head of the bed, so she was effectively sitting on his face. He wasted no time, thrusting his tongue inside her, before pulling back to suck her clit into his mouth while he pressed two fingers inside her.

She tried to twist around so she could continue stroking him and, sensing her intention, he lifted her up and turned her around, so she was facing away from him, his mouth still underneath her slit.

She smiled and immediately bent down to take his length into her mouth once again. She moaned around him, trying to ignore the sensations he was eliciting with his hands and mouth. She was determined to have him finish first, something it seemed she could never accomplish.

Alas, he could sense her intentions because a minute later, she found herself flat on her back, legs spread, with Klaus pushing himself inside her. Given their extended foreplay, it was only a few minutes later that Klaus' hard thrusts tipped them both over the edge and he collapsed on top of her.

"Morning," smiled Josie, after she'd caught her breath.

"Morning, my love," he returned, bending down to kiss her jaw.

They were interrupted by Klaus' phone buzzing. It was Elijah, telling Klaus that Rebekah had attacked Elena last night. Klaus thanked Elijah before hanging up angrily.

"I need to speak to Rebekah," he said, getting dressed in vampire speed. "Before she goes after your sister again."

Josie nodded. "Okay, I…"

Klaus continued. "I'll see you later. Mother's insisting on having a party tonight to celebrate our reunion."

Josie momentarily forgot her train of thought. Of course, the ball. Which Esther used as a cover for her linking spell. Was it tonight already?

"So soon?" she asked, frowning.

"Yes," he said, quickly. "I'll call you later."

"Wait, I…"

She felt a breeze and he was gone.

She sighed. "…wanted to tell you that your mother is a psycho who wants to turn you mortal and kill all vampires in the process. Oh, and there is a bunch of wood around that can kill you if that doesn't work," she told an empty room, sarcastically.

Glancing at the clock, she saw that there was still an hour before school. She got ready quickly, then sent Klaus and Elijah a text, asking them to meet her at Fells Church. She wanted to be sure they weren't overheard.

When she went downstairs, Elena and the Salvatore brothers were in the kitchen. Josie just listened as Elena told Damon and Stefan how Esther had been in the coffin and that she just wanted to live in peace with her family.

"Look, Elijah promised me that his family wouldn't hurt any of us," said Elena. "I believe him. He saved me from Rebekah."

Damon scoffed. "So he stops his sister from snapping your neck and all of a sudden you trust him?"

"You daggered his brother and stole his family," said Josie, announcing her presence. "Not to mention you killed two hybrids. Maybe you should stop being such a dick and be grateful you're still breathing."

"I'm getting really tired of your attitude, Josie," said Damon, speeding to stand in front of her.

Josie huffed. "Get out of my way, Damon."

"No," said Damon, angrily. "You're sleeping with the enemy. You're leading the hybrids. You nearly killed Stefan."

"The Originals aren't our enemies," said Josie, just as angry. "And Stefan killed my friend."

"I'm sorry," said Stefan, quickly.

Josie blinked, surprised. "What?"

"I know it's not an excuse," said Stefan in a hushed tone, coming up to her. "My humanity being off. But I am sorry."

Josie tried for a smile. "Thank you. That means a lot." She paused. "You know, Mindy loved animals. Dogs, especially. Her apartment didn't allow pets, but she volunteered at an animal shelter every week. It was called the KC Pet Project in Kansas City."

Stefan nodded. "I'm sure they'd appreciate a donation in her name."

"I'm sure they would," said Josie.

"That's great," Damon cut in with sarcastic tone. "But can we get back to your disturbing membership on Team Original?"

At that moment, the doorbell rang. When Elena opened the door, there was an envelope lying on the welcome mat.

"What is it?" asked Damon.

"An invitation to the ball the Originals are hosting tonight," answered Josie, grabbing her bag. "Klaus mentioned it."

"The invitation is to the entire Gilbert Family," said Elena, frowning. "There's a note on the back. It's from Esther. She wants to meet me." She turned to Josie. "Do you know why?"

"Not sure," lied Josie. "I can ask Elijah and Klaus."

Josie wanted to meet with Elijah and Klaus and come up with a plan to handle Esther before she talked to the Scoobies, or Elena at least.

"Like we'll believe anything they say," said Damon, sarcastically.

"Stop it, Damon," said Elena before Josie could say anything. "It's over. The Original Family isn't going anywhere. I think Josie's right. We should just try and live in peace with them."

Josie smiled. "Welcome to the dark side, sis. See you at school."

Then she left without another word. She didn't head to school though, she drove straight to Fells Church. Elijah and Klaus were already there when she arrived.

She had just turned off the car when she was hit with a vision. She saw the Mikaelson mansion, where the Original Siblings were getting ready for the ball that night.

"Rebekah, tell me how handsome I am," said Kol, looking at himself in the mirror.

"Oh Kol, you know I can't be compelled," answered Rebekah.

Klaus stormed into the room. "You went after Elena. What is wrong with you?"

"Here we go," said Rebekah in an unfriendly tone.

"Do you want another dagger in your heart?" threatened Klaus. "Not only do I need her blood for my hybrids, she's Josie's sister."

"Who's Josie?" asked Kol, curious.

"Nik's girlfriend," smirked Rebekah.

Kol laughed. "Did you compel some poor girl in this backwater town to fawn over you?"

Klaus growled. "Not another word or I'll tear out your heart."

Kol and Klaus just stared at each other for a second before Esther intervened.

"Enough," Esther cut in. "Niklaus, come."

Klaus followed Esther into the next room.

"Rebekah wasn't even out of her box a day before she tried to ruin my life," complained Klaus. "What happened to peace, acceptance, family?"

"You put daggers in their hearts," said Esther, frowning. "You want them to go down on their knees and kiss your feet for reuniting them?"

"So it's a crime to want our family to be as we were?"

"You need to give it time, Niklaus. I've had a thousand years on the Other Side to be angry and to heal. I'm here to make sure this family does the same."

"I just don't understand," replied Klaus. "I killed you and still you forgive me."

"It's been my dream for a thousand years that this family could be as one. Forgiveness is not a chore. It's a gift." Esther smiled. "Now, am I correct in assuming you'll be taking Josie to the ball tonight?"

Klaus smiled. "Yes."

"It warms my heart to see you've found someone," said Esther, smiling. "She must be special indeed."

"She is, Mother."

The scene faded away and Josie got out of her car, deciding to unpack that vision at a later time.

She took a deep breath, unsure how Klaus and Elijah were going to take the news. She was especially worried about Klaus. Not just about their mother's true intentions, but about everything she'd been holding back- the sireline issue, the white oak. She wondered for the thousandth time if she'd done the right thing in waiting to tell them.

"Thanks for coming," she said, smiling.

"Of course, my dear," said Elijah.

"What's going on?" asked Klaus, with a worried look. "Why are we meeting here?"

"Because I don't want to be overheard," answered Josie, looking around. "Are we alone?"

Klaus and Elijah paused for a moment, using their vampire hearing to assure Josie that they were, indeed, alone.

"Good," nodded Josie. "Okay, well, Amber's spell worked. I'm not muzzled anymore… Now, before I tell you what I know, Klaus you have to promise me that you won't do anything rash."

"Says the queen of restraint herself," said Klaus, eyebrows raised.

Josie laughed. "I mean it. You know 'm on your side. But these are very complicated… topics with far-reaching consequences and if you go off half-cocked…"

"Just tell us, love," said Klaus, a little impatient.

Josie took a deep breath. "Okay, first. Your mother isn't here to reunite your family. Well, she is, but she wants to undo the spell that made you vampires. Make you mortal again. She's spent a thousand years on the Other Side, watching you kill humans, drink their blood, and she wants to end what she views as the mistake of turning you into vampires."

There was a pause while Klaus and Elijah digested this new information.

"And if we do not wish to become mortal again?" asked Elijah, stiffly.

Josie shook her head. "She said either you'll become mortal or you'll die."

"And it did not occur to her that those are essentially the same thing?" growled Klaus, angrily.

Elijah sighed. "As you may be aware, Josie, our family has acquired many… enemies over the years. For us to be made human again, powerless. I doubt we would survive long."

"I know," nodded Josie. "There's something else. The spell that turned you into vampires, it created a link between you and every vampire that you've sired and that they've sired and so on. A sireline. And when an Original Vampire dies, all the vampires in that Original's sireline die as well. The link doesn't disappear if you turn mortal again."

"Every vampire in existence?" breathed Elijah, trying to wrap his head around the gravity of the situation.

"Yes," said Josie, turning to Klaus. "And your hybrids. We're talking about genocide. I don't know how you feel about being human again, but…" she trailed off, the implication clear.

There was a moment of silence before Klaus spoke.

"How does she plan to do this?" asked Klaus, his jaw set, his face not betraying any of the emotions he felt.

"By casting a linking spell tonight on you and your other siblings, at the ball. She does it by getting you to drink a special champagne toast. Then she channels some borrowed magic to reverse the spell that made Finn a vampire. He doesn't want to be a vampire anymore, so he volunteers. And viola, you're all human again."

"Borrowed magic?" asked Elijah.

"The entire Bennett ancestral line," said Josie. "It was Bonnie and her mother that released your mother from the coffin.  
They're descendants of Ayana."

"Well the solution is simple," said Klaus, turning away. "I killed her a thousand years ago. I can do it again."

"Niklaus!" commanded Elijah, zooming in front of Klaus. "I thought we agreed we would not act impulsively."

Josie shook her head. "He might be right, Elijah. You know I don't like killing anyone, but she's not going to stop. She will kill you if she can't make you mortal. She's been waiting a thousand years for this."

"Indeed," said Elijah. "A witch as powerful as our mother, channeling an entire ancestral line. Do you really think killing her will be as simple as waltzing into our house and tearing out her heart?"

"I don't hear an idea, Elijah," growled Klaus.

"Clearly the link between her and this line must be severed," said Elijah.

Josie bit her lip. Elijah was right. She'd forgotten about that. They'd turned Abby Bennett. That's how Esther had been stopped the first time.

"So we kill these witches that unleashed her," said Klaus. "Then we kill her."

"Why do you jump straight to killing?" asked Josie, exasperated. "Can we sever the link in a less gruesome way? Like through magic? Bonnie would never agree to kill all vampires in existence. I'm sure we can convince her and her mother to try and disrupt the link."

"That seems like a reasonable alternative," said Elijah. "If it can be achieved."

Josie turned to Klaus, eyebrows raised.

"It's a possibility," conceded Klaus, however reluctantly. "We'll need to detain them first."

"That could be a problem," said Josie, frowning at her phone.

"Why's that?" asked Klaus.

"Because according to my sister, Bonnie and her mother are missing."

"Missing?" Elijah repeated.

"Elena says Bonnie didn't show up for school and that no one's heard from her since they woke up Esther last night," said Josie, reading Elena's text message. "Just a sec."

Josie quickly typed out a response to Elena, who was also wondering where Josie was and why she wasn't in school.

"Mother must be hiding them somewhere," said Elijah. "Until she can complete the linking and reversion spells. As a precaution no doubt."

Josie nodded in agreement. It made sense. Considering how fragile Esther's link with the Bennett line was, she had been surprised in the show that Esther just let the Bennetts wander around, unprotected. Esther must be taking extra precautions, even if she believed Josie's censor spell was still in place.

"So what do we do?" asked Josie. "I mean, we can look for Bonnie and her mother, but she's probably hidden them well."

"She'll need them close," said Klaus. "She can't maintain the link if they're too far away."

"What about Amber, the witch?" asked Josie. "You said she can find anyone."

"And so she can," confirmed Elijah. "But she left town the moment she realized who was in that coffin. I doubt we will get any witch who is willing to oppose my mother. Especially as her current task is ending the vampire species."

"We'll find the witches eventually," said Klaus, confidently. "I'll have my hybrids scour the city. In the meantime, we must ensure we are not linked and not let Esther know we suspect her."

"Agreed," nodded Elijah. "Niklaus and I will ensure none of our siblings, save Finn, drink that champagne."

Josie frowned. "You're not considering actually going to the ball?"

"Esther must not suspect," said Klaus firmly. "If she knows we are aware of her plan, she will abscond with Finn and the Bennetts and we lose our chance of ending her."

Josie nodded, knowing they were right. "Okay, we'll play along for now."

"I'll call Mason and have him begin the search," said Klaus, pulling out his phone.

"Wait!" exclaimed Josie. She took a deep breath. "There's something else."

Klaus and Elijah looked at her expectantly.

"I know she says she wants to make you mortal again, not kill you. And I believe her, strangely. But she will kill you if her plan fails."

"Impossible," Klaus cut in. "We cannot be killed in this form."

Josie bit her lip. Just spit it out!

"She can. With white oak."

"Where would she get white oak?" asked Klaus. "I used the last of it to kill Mikael."

"Yeah, well, he had the last of it from the original white oak tree. But a sapling grew in its place after you burnt the first one. It was used to make Wickery Bridge. And I… may have cut off a few pieces of my own. Esther doesn't know about it though. At least I don't think so."

She reached into her bag and handed a white oak stake to Klaus.

"I'm sorry," said Josie. "I made them before I knew you. Both of you. I just wanted an insurance policy."

Klaus looked shocked. "Is that the stake you carried all summer?"

Josie frowned. "No, though that one was white oak too. I'll have to get that one back from Alaric. I used it to stab Stefan on Senior Prank Night. I am sorry. You have to understand. I was terrified of you. I just wanted to protect my family and friends."

Josie chanced a look at Klaus. She knew Elijah would probably understand. But she wasn't sure about Klaus.

"The important thing is that you are helping us now," said Elijah. He looked at Klaus. "Isn't that right, Niklaus?"

Klaus' face hardened. "You knew. This sireline problem isn't new information. You knew of this before we even met. That's why you never used one of these," he said, holding up the white oak stake.

It wasn't a question and Josie didn't answer.

"The bridge and the sign have to be burned," said Josie, not able to look at Klaus. "I'll tell you where to find the rest of the stakes I made. Also the horse you carved for Rebekah as a child. It's white oak too."

Josie told them where her stakes were and, after Klaus called Mason to organize the hybrids to search for the Bennetts, they made plans to destroy all the white oak.

"I suppose I should get to school," said Josie, after they'd finalized the plans.

Klaus was clearly not happy about the information she'd revealed. He kept addressing her with a detached, formal tone.

"I shall see you tonight, my dear," said Elijah, before blurring away to take care of the white oak.

Josie bit her lip, feeling the awkward silence now that she and Klaus were alone.

"I'm sorry," said Josie. "I'm sorry about your mother. That I didn't tell you about the white oak and the sirelines sooner."

"We were enemies," said Klaus with a cool expression. "I would expect nothing less."

"I wanted to," she said. "After Mikael died. I just, I wanted…"

"Your freedom," he finished. "You thought I wouldn't grant it if I knew you wanted Mikael dead anyway."

Josie sighed. "Would you have?"

Klaus paused and looked at her.

"I wish I could say yes," said Klaus. "But I don't know."

"I guess I made the right call then." She paused, waiting for him to respond. "Please say something, Klaus." He just stood there. "Anything."

Klaus suddenly appeared in front of her.

"What would you like me to say?" he asked, gruffly. "How pleasant it is to think you spent the entire summer with a stake in your possession that could kill me? That the only reason you don't want me dead is to protect your friends?"

"That's not true!" exclaimed Josie.

"No?" growled Klaus. "For the longest time I wondered why you didn't simply let the Martins and the Morai coven kill me. Why you chose to help me rather than your friends when they conspired with Mikael. Now I see the truth."

"The truth?" scoffed Josie, feeling herself get angry. "You want to talk about the truth? Fine, yes, I kept a stake in my purse that could kill you. And I kept information from you that would have protected you against some of your enemies. But seriously? You came into my town six months ago with the sole purpose of killing my sister. You kidnapped me. You threatened everyone I loved unless I helped you make your hybrids."

Klaus looked at her with a hard expression as she spoke.

"And despite all of that, I… I still care about you," said Josie, her tone softening. "Sireline or not… I don't want you to die."

Klaus looked somewhat surprised at her confession. Which she thought was strange. After everything they'd been through, after everything she'd done to get him back from the Salvatores, how could he think that she would want him gone? That she didn't care?

"Why?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Josie bit her lip. "Well, I fancy you, for one," she said, smiling.

His own lips curled in a slight smile when she repeated his own words back to him.

"And because… I don't think you're the monster you show the world. I see the way you are with the hybrids. With me." She sighed, shaking her head. "I had Mason bite Stefan and then bleed him dry in order to get you back. I'm constantly defending you when my family gets upset we're together. I let you feed from me! How could you possibly think that I…"

She was cut off by his lips on hers. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her for a minute before pulling back.

"My little Oracle," he said, reaching up and tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "You never fail to surprise me."

Josie smiled. "I could say the same about you." She paused. "You believe me, right? You know I missed you when you were daggered. And not just because I didn't want to be queen of the hybrids anymore."

Klaus smirked. "That's too bad, love. I'm quite sure they still think of you as such."

Josie raised her eyebrows. "And what do you think?"

He tilted his head, as if considering. "I think you would make a fine queen."

He cupped her face, kissing her again. Then he reached down and lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist and cupping her behind to support her. As they kissed, Josie could feel him hardening against the apex of her thighs.

His lips left hers and trailed down her neck. He sped them over to a nearby tree, pressing her back against it, using the leverage to let one hand wander underneath her shirt and stroke the smooth skin of her stomach.

Josie gripped him harder with her legs, pushing her core against his erection harder. How could he ever think she'd want him dead?  
He undid the button to her jeans and dipped his hand in, rubbing her clit with his thumb while pushing two fingers inside her. The moan that tore from her throat was involuntary.

"Klaus, please…"

He growled and suddenly, she found herself on her hands and knees, stripped below the waist with Klaus' jacket underneath her. Another second and she felt his erection at her entrance as he came up behind her.

She pushed back against him and was rewarded with a light spank on her behind.

"Eager little thing," he growled, bending down to kiss the spot where he'd marked her. "What would you like, my love?"

"Please, Klaus," she moaned, trying to push back, desperate for him inside her.

She wondered what he was up to. He generally wasn't a big talker during sex.

He growled, his mouth still lingering on the back of her neck.

"Would you like your alpha to claim you?" he asked, teasing her entrance with the head of his length.

If he needed affirmation, she was certainly willing to give it. She wanted him. Always. He had to know that.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, immediately.

There was something about this. Sex with Klaus. Outside. In a forest. Him taking her from behind, like he was mounting her. Something primal and fierce. And even though her inner feminist was screaming at her, she didn't think she'd ever been more turned on.

All thoughts were driven from her head when he thrust forward, filling her in one movement. Her cry of pleasure resounded in the forest and he wasted no time moving in and out of her at a brutal pace.

One hand snaked around her waist, rubbing her clit as the other gripped her hip. He continued to pump inside her with long, hard strokes that shook her to her core. Each thrust sent his length rubbing against her g-spot and it didn't take long before she was screaming his name over and over.

"Klaus, please, I'm… I'm…"

"That's it," he growled, his grip tightening possessively.

She curled her hands against the jacket that lay beneath her as she exploded around him. Her scream echoed around the forest and she was rewarded with a few more brutal thrusts before he growled savagely, spilling himself inside her.

He caught her before she fell to the ground, pulling her upright and flush against him. He nuzzled her neck while they both came down from their high. She had nearly caught her breath when he broke the silence.

"Enjoy the great outdoors?" he whispered, still kissing her neck.

"Mmm," she murmured, turning to face him.

He sat back and allowed her to straddle his lap, wrapping his arms around her.

"I meant what I said before," she said softly, looking into his eyes. "All of it. This isn't about sirelines or leverage. I want you here. I'm with you in this. We're going to stop your mother together."

Klaus' face brightened for a split second, before immediately darkening.

"I appreciate the sentiment, love, but my mother is dangerous."

"I know," she said. "But you're my territory, remember? Nobody messes with my territory."

Klaus chuckled, though it was clear he was pleased.

"As long as you allow me the same consideration."

Josie nodded, wishing for the thousandth time that her superpower could be something less lame than visions. Like super strength or laser beams shooting from her fingertips or something. She supposed it was better than Elena. Magic blood. That was definitely worse than visions.

Klaus grabbed her face and kissed her fiercely. She could feel him hardening against her stomach and she pulled away.

"I really do have to go though," she said. "I've already missed my first two classes."

He growled in frustration, but let her go, quickly dressing himself and helping her do the same.

"My offer of a compelled diploma still stands," he smiled, taking her hand and walking her back to her car.

Josie smiled. "Maybe one day."

Klaus opened her door for her. "Why don't you come to the house after your classes this afternoon? There's something I wish to show you."

Josie tilted her head, wondering what it could be.

"Okay," she frowned when her phone buzzed again. "Seriously… I should get to school before my sister sends out a search party."

 **A/N: I hope I captured Klaus' reaction accurately. Given how he reacted (or didn't react really) to outright betrayals from Caroline and Cami and this isn't really a betrayal on Josie's part, I think he'd be more hurt by Josie holding back the information (especially since she's volunteering it now and helping him), rather than angry. And he'd be mollified by her pseudo-confession of her feelings for him. Thoughts?**


	50. Dangerous Liaisons (Part Two)

When Josie arrived at school, it was a few minutes after third period. Elena dragged her into an empty classroom at lunch where she got an earful about missing school.

"It's your first week back, Jo," said Elena. "You already missed the first few weeks because of Klaus. What were you doing?"

Josie sighed. "I was meeting with Elijah and Klaus. About Esther. Listen, Elena, they're some things you need to know."

And then Josie told Elena everything. About Esther's plan to turn her children mortal, the sireline problem and the white oak stakes.

Elena was shocked, to say the least.

"All vampires?" she gasped.

Josie nodded. "Yes, all of them. So we have to stop Esther. No matter how Damon and Stefan feel about the Originals. Killing one of them would be like genocide. Murdering thousands of people at once."

Elena nodded. "Do you know who Damon and Stefan are descended from?"

"Does it matter?" asked Josie, crossing her arms.

"Not to me," said Elena, though she looked a little guilty. "But Damon and Stefan will want to know."

Josie sighed. Given Rose was still alive and possibly in contact with Damon, she didn't see the point in hiding it.

"They're in Klaus' sireline," said Josie.

Elena sighed. "They'll love that."

"Serves them right," said Josie, shaking her head. "I've had enough of Damon's holier-than-thou attitude to last a lifetime. It's like he's forgotten he's a killer or something."

Elena nodded. "I know. He wouldn't stop talking about Klaus last night. How evil he is. How he brainwashed you."

Josie tilted her head. "You don't believe him, do you?"

"I don't, Jo," said Elena, pulling Josie in for a hug. "It's not a secret that I don't like Klaus, but he did save your life. He kept his word about the sacrifice. Elijah is his brother, so he can't be all bad."

Josie nodded. The Elijah Effect. It was potent.

"So about tonight," said Elena, pulling back from the hug. "I guess we're staying home and not going to the ball?"

"No, I'm going," said Josie. "And so are you."

Josie explained that they had to pretend everything was normal, that Josie's censor spell was still in place, until they could find out where Bonnie and her mother were. The plan was just to make sure the siblings weren't linked.

"I need to tell Stefan and Damon," said Elena.

"I know," said Josie, rolling her eyes. "If only so they don't do anything to mess this up. Subtlety thy name is not Salvatore."

Elena laughed. "Exactly."

Josie smiled, glad it seemed like Elena wasn't marching completely to the Salvatores' drum anymore. Josie promised not to miss anymore school (save emergencies) and then went to meet her friends for lunch.

She discovered that Colin and Bridget's families had been invited to the Mikaelsons' ball that evening. When Josie told them that Klaus would be there, Tracy insisted that Bridget take her as a plus one.

"I have to meet this Klaus guy," said Tracy, smiling.

"Why?" asked Josie, quizically. "I told you before you'll meet him at some point."

Josie loved her friends, but considering they didn't know anything about the supernatural and she wasn't even sure what her relationship status was with Klaus ('territory' discussion aside), she didn't think a meet-and-greet between the Original Hybrid and her friends was a good idea.

"Oh, come on," said Bridget, rolling her eyes. "The way you talk about him. You get this look in your eye. You didn't even have that look with Tyler."

"There's no look," said Josie, trying to keep the color out of her cheeks.

She was not someone who blushed easily, but somehow it kept happening when people talked about Klaus and her.

"Klaus and I are…" Josie trailed off, frowning. "He's… amazing. But, he's not the most emotionally available person in the world."

"Well we have to at least meet the guy who's been taking you away from us so much," said Tracy with a mock pout.

"And is the best you've ever had," said Colin, laughing.

Josie shook her head, laughing too. "Do not tell him that! His ego is plenty big already, believe me."

"Well as long as other things are just as big," said Bridget, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

They all laughed and Tracy turned the topic to their outfits for the ball.

Josie excused herself from the table a few minutes before the lunch bell rang, remembering her promise to Mason that she would talk to Tyler about him wanting to become a hybrid.

"Hey Tyler," said Josie, coming up to his locker. "Can I talk to you?"

Tyler smiled. "Sure, what's up?"

"Mason talked to me yesterday."

Tyler's face fell. "What I want to do with my life is none of his business, Josie. And it's not yours either. Not anymore."

"Mason is just trying to look out for you," said Josie. "So am I. You don't want to be a hybrid."

"I can look out for myself," said Tyler, angrily. "I can't believe you of all people are trying to talk me out of this. You're with Klaus. I thought you'd be supportive."

"Becoming a hybrid isn't a decision to take lightly. This is the rest of eternity we're talking about."

"You think I don't know that?" asked Tyler.

"I think you're letting the pain of turning dictate major life, or in this case death, decisions."

Tyler scoffed. "It isn't just about that."

Josie frowned. "No?"

Tyler paused and looked at her for a few seconds.

"Would you do it?" he asked.

Josie was confused. "I can't be a hybrid, I'm not a werewolf."

"Not a hybrid," said Tyler, shaking his head. "Would you turn… for him?"

"I…" Josie honestly didn't know, but she realized what Tyler was really saying. "This is about Caroline."

Tyler nodded. "I know you and I…"

"Are 100% over," said Josie, honestly. "I'm happy for you and Caroline. Really. But I don't think she'd want you to die for her."

"Die and come back, Josie," said Tyler. "Mason said it felt amazing when he became a hybrid. He still doesn't regret what happened. Neither does Caroline."

"Caroline isn't sired to Klaus. Mason is. All the hybrids are. Klaus can control everything they do."

"Mason just works for Klaus," said Tyler, dismissively. "He says Klaus isn't a bad guy. James and Tabitha love Klaus. Does the sire bond control how you feel?"

Josie bit her lip. She knew it didn't. That the hybrids had disliked Klaus intensely in the original storyline, even while they were sired to him. It's how Tyler and Hayley had convinced them to break the sire bond.

Now, the hybrids were genuinely fond of Klaus as their alpha. They had formed a real pack. It made accepting the sirebond a lot easier, apparently.

"Not exactly… But I thought you hated Klaus?" asked Josie. "For taking me over the summer."

Tyler looked uncomfortable. "I did. Sort of. But he saved your life at Homecoming. You obviously think he's an okay guy, since you're dating him."

"And you trust my judgment?" asked Josie, confused, remembering how he'd yelled at her in a Chicago alley for defending Klaus.

Tyler shrugged. "I don't think you'd be with a guy who didn't treat you right."

"I'm not sired to him. The hybrids have to do whatever he says."

"It's not like that," said Tyler. "James says…"

"It is like that, Tyler. If Klaus told them to jump off a bridge, they'd do it. If he told them to kill themselves, they'd do it. He wouldn't do that, but…" She sighed. "Please just really think about this. You hate being told what to do."

Tyler opened his mouth to reply, but the bell rang.

"I'll think about it," said Tyler. "I promise."

Josie nodded and watched him walk away. She still wasn't supportive of Klaus creating more hybrids if the werewolves in question didn't want to turn, but she could understand some wanting to. Tyler had described turning like a monthly torture, plus there were always going to be humans who wanted to become immortal.

But Tyler had loathed Klaus in the original storyline (though to be fair it was mostly because Klaus had forced him to bite Caroline) and had spearheaded the effort to unsire the other hybrids. Josie just didn't think Tyler would be happy being a hybrid.

The rest of the school day was uneventful. She hopped in her car as soon as the last bell rang and headed over to the Mikaelson house, curious what Klaus wanted to show her.

She rang the doorbell and Elijah answered.

"Hello, Josie," said Elijah, moving to the side so she could enter.

"Hey, Elijah. How did it go today?"

The unspoken question was clear: had he gotten rid of all the white oak?

"Splendidly," he answered. "And you?"

Josie knew he was referring to the one stake that Alaric had.

"Good," she replied. "My… assignment is at Alaric's apartment, but he said he'd bring it to my house tonight."

Elijah nodded. "Excellent. Niklaus is in the upstairs sitting room, if you'd…"

"I'm right here, Brother," said Klaus, suddenly appearing at Josie's side.

"Hey, Klaus," she said.

"Hello, love."

She turned back to Elijah. "You know, I've been craving an apple-cinnamon scone ever since I've been back."

Scones were the specialty of The Tipping Pot, the café that had become Elijah and Josie's meeting place in the spring, when they'd been plotting against Klaus before the sacrifice.

"Sunday brunch?" asked Elijah, eyebrows raised.

Josie smiled. "Pick me up at 10?"

"It would be a pleasure," answered Elijah, smiling. "Now, I have some matters to attend to for tonight. I'll see you two later."

"Did you just make a date with my brother?" asked Klaus, as Elijah walked away.

Josie laughed. "We used to go to The Tipping Pot all the time. They have amazing scones and their Sunday brunch is awesome. I hope it's not a problem that I'm friends with your brother."

"Of course not, love," said Klaus, wrapping his arms around her. "As long as you don't forget who you belong to."

Josie rolled her eyes and ran a hand over his chest.

"How could I?" she asked. "With your bite marks and you pawing at me every second."

Klaus growled and pulled her flush against him, bending down to nip at her neck.

"You love it," he whispered.

Josie giggled. "Maybe… Didn't you want to show me something?"

Klaus pulled back. "Yes. Come with me."

He took her hand and led her out the back of the house.

"Where are we going?" asked Josie, as he led her through the garden.

"Here," he answered, as they moved past a hedge toward the back.

Josie looked at him curiously. This was the training area for the hybrids. There were several sparring circles drawn on the ground, targets for archery, and a shed she knew contained the weapons the hybrids used to train with.

Klaus smiled as he went into the shed and emerged with a bow.

"What do you think?" asked Klaus, handing her the bow.

"It's nice," she said, a little confused.

"You mentioned you would like to learn…"

She smiled, remembering the conversation they had in Kansas City.

"I would," she confirmed, surprised he had remembered.

"All the bows for my hybrids require too much draw weight, but this one should suit you nicely."

"This is for me?" she asked, smiling.

He nodded. "Yes."

"I love it!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome." He leaned down and kissed her. "It comes with lessons as well."

Josie just smiled bigger and dragged him down for another kiss.

Someone behind them scoffed. "Oh, get a bloody room!"

Josie broke away from Klaus and turned.

"Rebekah, hey."

While she was happy to see the youngest Original sibling, she did remember that Rebekah had attacked Elena last night.

"Hey, Josie," replied Rebekah. "I see my brother's taste in gifts remains sadly lacking. Honestly, Nik, haven't you heard? Diamonds are a girl's best friend."

"What do you want, Rebekah?" asked Klaus in an unfriendly tone.

"Nothing," said Rebekah, though her eyes were roaming around, obviously looking for something. Or someone.

"My hybrids are all preoccupied at the moment," said Klaus, guessing exactly who Rebekah was looking for- Mason.

At that, Rebekah's face turned sour.

Josie frowned, feeling bad about Rebekah's plight. Being Klaus' sister would seriously suck.

"Wouldn't it be a good idea to have some of the hybrids at the ball?" asked Josie. "Keep an eye on things? Besides, imagine who Rebekah will take if it's not Mason? At least you can make sure he treats her with respect."

Rebekah smiled deviously. "I wonder if Stefan's got a date. Or perhaps Damon?"

"They won't be able to do much dancing when I detach their heads from their bodies," said Klaus, darkly.

"You wouldn't. You know what Mother said," Rebekah shot back, then lowered her voice. "You wouldn't want her to think you're not following her rules, would you?"

Elijah and Klaus had told Rebekah and Kol about Esther's betrayal and Rebekah was right. They had to pretend everything was fine and the siblings were playing by Esther's rules until they had severed her link to the Bennett line.

"Mason is busy," said Klaus.

"Come on, Nik," frowned Rebekah. "You go around giving your girlfriend wolf love bites and I can't even have a date?"

"Who's Nik biting?" asked a voice from the edge of the training ground. "Think he'd let me have a taste?"

Klaus gave a low growl and gripped Josie tighter as Kol approached Rebekah, Klaus and Josie.

Josie frowned as Kol got closer. She felt the strangest sensation when she looked at him. Warmth, friendliness and, this weird… electricity. Kol's eyes landed on her for a second and she wondered if he felt something similar. She took a step back, further into Klaus' embrace.

"I'd stay away if I were you," said Rebekah to Kol. "He'd piss all over her if she'd let him."

"Language, Rebekah," said Esther, strolling into the garden. "The wolf mark Niklaus has bestowed upon Josie is perfectly natural."

Josie cringed, hoping her face was less red than it felt.

Kol laughed. "There's an actual mark? You've branded her like a prize mare?"

"More like a b-" Rebekah stopped herself, looking at her mother.

"Perhaps it's time everyone went inside to get ready for this evening?" asked Esther with raised eyebrows.

Her tone made it quite clear she wasn't asking. Kol and Rebekah disappeared at vampire speed, while Josie and Klaus walked back to the house.

"I told you before Rebekah lacks the social graces," said Klaus as they walked into the house. "The same can be said for Kol."

Josie nodded. "I'm sure you'll understand if I wear my hair down tonight. Speaking of… I should get home if I'm going to be ready on time."

"You needn't leave," said Klaus, grabbing her hand.

Klaus led her to his room and into his ridiculously large walk-in closet. There, hanging on a rack near the door, were five dresses, all of them still in plastic.

"Tabitha picked them out," explained Klaus.

Tabitha was one of the hybrids.

"You didn't have to…"

"I know," said Klaus, smiling. "I wanted to."

"Thanks," smiled Josie, eyeing the dresses. "Tabitha has good taste." She paused. "I should shower first."

Klaus smirked and grabbed her arm.

"Let me guess, you need to shower too?" asked Josie, laughing. "No, wait. You want to get dirty first."

Klaus picked her up and sped them into the bedroom. He took her on his bed before they hopped in the shower to get cleaned up.

Thankfully, they had plenty of time before the party started and he gave her a pair of his sweatpants and a t-shirt to wear before they needed to get dressed for the ball. He had dinner brought to his room for them and they were just finishing when he said he had one more thing he wanted to show her.

He led her down the hall from his room and opened a set of double doors that led to his art studio. It was a beautiful room, full of paintings and drawings. Josie knew that Klaus was an artist. It was something they'd spoken about at length.

"These are beautiful," she said. "They're not all you, right?"

"No," he said, pointing out a few of the paintings that he had 'borrowed' from various galleries across the globe.

She rolled her eyes, but didn't comment. In the grand scheme of things, stealing art was not something that really tugged at her conscience.

Her eyes turned to the large table in the middle of the room.

"These are yours though," she said, picking up a few of the sketches.

"Yes," he said, smiling.

She paused when she saw a familiar face. It was her, eyes closed in sleep.

"Wow," she said, admiring his rendering of her.

"There's something about someone's face when they're sleeping," he said, coming to stand beside her. Josie turned and looked at him. "So peaceful. So calm."

Josie raised her eyebrows. "So am I not normally peaceful and calm?" she teased.

"You are many things, my love, but tranquil is not one of them," he said, smiling. "Not to worry, I happen to like impetuous women."

"Impetuous?" exclaimed Josie with mock surprise.

"Mmm… yes," he murmured, drawing her to him. "My reckless, little Oracle."

Josie laughed. "Reckless? Well, I suppose… I'm with you, aren't I?"

"Indeed," he said, suddenly flipping her over and pushing her so she was bent over his desk. "You like danger." He leaned down and ran his tongue over her earlobe, causing a shiver to run down her spine. "And I'm the most dangerous thing of all."

By the time Klaus finished 'showing' Josie his studio, the ball was about to begin. They went back to Klaus' bedroom, where Josie started to get ready. Which meant hair, make-up, etc. Klaus just put on his tux and waited for Josie to be done, not very patiently.

"Why don't you just go down?" called Josie from the bathroom. "I have to finish my make-up and put my dress on."

"The dress requires someone to zip it up," said Klaus, tapping on his phone.

"I can just text you when I need you," said Josie, coming back into the room, mascara in hand. "Or you can be patient and wait five more minutes."

"I was promised five more minutes ten minutes ago," said Klaus, moodily.

"Well, I decided I wanted to put some of my hair up," frowned Josie. "I think it'll look better with the neckline of the dress."

"It was fine before," growled Klaus.

"Don't you growl at me!" exclaimed Josie. "Don't you want me to look nice at your fake coming out party?"

"You look beautiful without all that rubbish on your face."

Josie smiled even as she rolled her eyes.

"Five more minutes, promise."

Klaus sighed, but went back to his phone. It was a little more than five minutes later that Josie was slipping into her dress. She batted his straying hands when he went to zip her up, saying they were late already.

"And who's at fault?" he asked, running his hands over the smooth skin of her shoulders that the dress left bare.

Josie rolled her eyes. "It was your idea to christen the studio."

"I didn't hear any objections, love," he said, pulling her in for a kiss.

Josie smiled when they broke away. "Never… So… Shall we?"

Klaus smiled back and took her arm, leading her out of his room and down the stairs, into the grand foyer.

 **A/N: Okay, so I promise what Josie felt when she met Kol is not intended to create a love triangle. I'll just say that. Anyway, there was a fair amount of Josie/Klaus this chapter, plus some of the other Originals, the talk with Tyler- let me know what you thought!**

 **Also, thank you so much for all the reviews on the last chapter! I truly appreciate each one and do read them all, even if I tend to respond only generally. It's mostly because I don't want to give too much of the story away or I simply don't know what I'm going to do- the pregnancy comments are like this. I do find it interesting that most people either love or hate the idea of Josie getting pregnant. I'm curious if the latter are people that want Hayley to get pregnant instead or just no one?**


	51. Dangerous Liaisons (Part Three)

**A/N: Thank you for all the comments last chapter! I'm not a Hayley fan, was just curious if that was why some people don't want Josie pregnant. If I do get Josie pregnant, I'm not sure if I would move it to NOLA and do the weave in and out of canon that I'm currently doing with TVD or go really AU.**

 **Also, I'm against love triangles in general, but thought I should clarify- I don't consider it a love triangle if two people are in a relationship and another person likes one of the people in that relationship, but the feelings** _ **aren't**_ **returned (not saying that's what's happening with Kol, just saying that's my definition). I.e. Stefan/Elena/Damon wasn't a love triangle until Elena developed feelings for Damon.**

 **Anyway, onto the ball…**

After they descended the stairs, Josie and Klaus headed to the bar. Josie wanted a few cocktails in her, nervous about their plan to thwart Esther.

"Everything will be fine," said Klaus, handing her drink to her.

Josie nodded, taking a sip of her bourbon and coke.

"You look breathtaking, by the way," he said, running his hand over her back. "Worth every minute."

Josie rolled her eyes, remembering how much he'd complained about how long it took her to get ready.

"You're pretty hot yourself," she returned.

And he did. Klaus looked very handsome and dashing in his tux.

Josie smiled, leaning up to give him a kiss.

"Where's Mason?" cut in Rebekah's voice. "You said he'd be here."

Klaus looked annoyed at being interrupted.

"I said he'd try and make an appearance, dear sister."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you sent him on some pointless mission so he'd miss the party."

Josie smiled when she saw Mason walk into the bar area, looking a little out of place in a tux, rather than his usual casual attire.

"Rebekah," said Josie, nudging her.

Rebekah's face brightened when she saw Mason and she immediately left, leaving Josie and Klaus at the bar.

"Thanks," said Josie, grabbing Klaus' arm and leading him back toward the foyer.

Klaus shrugged. "He wasn't needed tonight."

"Right," smiled Josie, taking another sip of her drink.

They spent the next hour mingling with the other guests. Josie saw Elijah for a few minutes, but didn't see any of the other Original siblings, including their mother. She excused herself and went to the bathroom, wanting to make sure she went before they had to do the group dance thing.

After emerging from the bathroom, she stepped out onto one of the balconies for some fresh air. She felt a presence behind her and turned around, a little startled to see Kol standing there. That same feeling she'd gotten earlier, that warmth, friendliness, that… electricity, was still there. She unconsciously stepped back a little.

"I don't mean you any harm," he said. "Josie, right?

Josie nodded. "Yes. And you're Kol… Nice to meet you."

"You as well."

"Right… I should get going," she said, moving past him.

This weird feeling was unnerving her. Every instinct was telling her she should stay with Kol. That she should get to know him, that he was a friend.

"Wait!" he said.

Against her better judgment, she stopped and turned around.

He looked at her curiously. "I was talking to Elijah earlier. Are you really an Oracle?"

Josie shrugged. "Everyone seems to think so. I've been told there's no way to know for sure."

"But you have lucid visions? Not like flashes, like Seers?"

She nodded. "They're like dreams."

"Incredible," he breathed. "A direct connection to the Sight. One of the most obscure facets of magic."

Josie smiled, remembering Kol and his fascination with magic.

"I'm not a witch," she said, feeling like she should clarify.

"I know, darling," smirked Kol. "I know what an Oracle is."

Josie tilted her head curiously. "What do you know about them? Nobody can tell me much."

Kol shrugged. "Just legends. The name comes from the temple at Delphi. In Greek mythology, the first Oracle at Delphi was the daughter of the God Apollo. It's unclear whether she was a true Oracle or not. But so strong was the belief in the prophecies at Delphi that the priestesses there were considered the best diviners in the entirety of the Greek realm."

"Were they really witches, though? Seers?" asked Josie.

Kol nodded. "I would imagine so. A true Seer is rare, but not unheard of."

Josie frowned. "That's it? Nothing more about Oracles in a thousand years of hanging around witches?"

"According to legend, an Oracle is a human with the Sight. Like witches, they cannot be compelled. They have some natural resistance to magic. And…" he frowned, clearly hesitating to tell her the next part.

"What?" she asked, curiously. "Come on, don't hold out on me."

"It's said that they'll lose their power once their innocence is taken."

Josie burst out laughing. "Well I guess that proves it. I'm definitely not an Oracle. I haven't been innocent in a while…"

Kol's eyes darkened and he stepped closer to her.

"You do seem like a naughty little thing."

The mood changed suddenly. Josie tried to calm her pounding heart. The electricity feeling intensified the closer he got.

"Something I'd like to experience first-hand," he said in a low voice.

"I'm with Klaus," said Josie, stepping back until she hit the balcony railing.

"I'm not a wolf, darling," said Kol, stepping closer. "I don't care about some silly little bite he's given you."

"Stop it," said Josie, putting as much conviction into her voice as she could.

"Yes, Brother, please do stop," came Elijah's voice from the doorway of the balcony.

Josie sighed in relief.

"What business is it of yours?" asked Kol, turning to Elijah and stepping away from Josie.

"Our first night together as a family and already causing trouble," said Elijah, shaking his head. "Josie is with Niklaus. If you do not wish to suffer his wrath, I suggest you cease attempting to take what belongs to him."

"Maybe Nik should keep a closer eye on what belongs to him," smirked Kol.

Elijah sped to stand in front of Kol.

"Leave," Elijah commanded.

Kol looked angry, but disappeared.

"I apologize for that," sighed Elijah. "He is still angry about being daggered for so long. I'm sorry he involved you in his misguided attempt at vengeance."

Josie nodded, figuring Elijah was probably right. Kol was just mad at Klaus.

It was odd, though. Like this afternoon, that weird electricity feeling disappeared as soon as Kol did. What was that about?

"Klaus isn't going to be happy though," said Josie, biting her lip.

"I will speak with him," said Elijah.

Josie nodded, thinking that might be best. Elijah at least had a hope of containing his reaction.

"May I?" asked Elijah, holding out his arm.

"Of course," smiled Josie, trying for a curtesy and taking his arm, letting him lead her back into the house.

Josie found Klaus a minute later, speaking with the mayor. Mrs. Lockwood raised her eyebrows when Josie linked her arm with Klaus', but otherwise didn't say anything. They'd only been talking for a few minutes when Elijah raised his voice and asked everyone to gather around the staircase.

Klaus excused himself and went to stand with the rest of his siblings. Elijah welcomed them all and to his credit, appeared for all intents and purposes, a gracious host, happy to be reunited with his family under his mother. Josie would never have guessed he was just pretending.

Klaus found her after Elijah was finished and led her into the ballroom. Despite his refusal to dance at the nightclub in Italy, Klaus was a really good dancer. He told her tales of dances past while he twirled her around. Josie, despite not being the best ballroom dancer, managed to keep up with him and avoid stomping on his feet.

Josie looked around the room and noticed how some dancing partners had changed from the original storyline, while some had stayed the same. Damon was with Elena, Stefan with the mayor, while Josie was with Klaus, Rebekah with Mason, Anna with Jeremy, Jenna with Alaric and Tyler with Caroline.

Halfway through the dance, they changed partners and she found herself facing Damon. Awkward.

"Hey, Damon," she said as he grabbed her around her waist.

"Hello Miss Original," he returned, grumpily.

Josie sighed. "What are you doing here? I doubt you were invited."

"I'm crashing," he said, with his trademark smirk. "It's not a party without a Salvatore."

Josie found herself smiling at his smug, but charming face.

"How can you dance with that giant head of yours?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Vampire strength comes in handy for some things…" He paused. "I talked to Elena this afternoon."

Josie nodded. "Okay…"

"I need to know if it's all true," he said seriously.

"Why would I lie?" asked Josie, exasperated.

"I don't know, Josie," he said. "Why would you lead the hybrids? Why are you with Klaus? He's a dick who kidnapped you and wanted to sacrifice your sister."

Josie sighed. "You don't understand him like I do. Why he did those things. What he's been through. And he's not a complete dick… You're a dick too, you know."

"But I'm a lovable dick," smirked Damon. "A dick who does what needs doing."

"Will you guys stop saying the word dick?" hissed Stefan, who was dancing next to them with Elena.

Damon and Josie looked at each other and started laughing.

"Sorry, Dad," said Josie sarcastically, still giggling.

Damon and Josie laughed for a few more seconds before falling into a somewhat less awkward silence.

"I'm sorry," said Damon, breaking the silence.

Josie raised her eyebrows. "For what?"

"For being such a dick," he said, smiling over at Stefan, who frowned. "Look, I don't like Klaus. There's no way in hell he's good enough for you. And I don't trust any of the Originals. But that doesn't mean we have to be at war."

"I'm sorry too," said Josie. "What I did to Stefan. I was mad about Mindy, but… I don't know. I don't want to be the type of person who takes revenge. Seeing Stefan tied up in the basement didn't make me feel any better about her death."

"That's because you're not a bad person," said Damon.

Josie scoffed. "You really think so?"

She thought about everything she'd done since coming to this world. All the lives that had been lost because she'd chosen to protect the people she cared about at others' expense.

"Take it from a guy who's spent most of his 160 years as a murderous vampire," said Damon. "You're not even close."

Josie tilted her head. "I hope you're right…" She sighed. "So how much of that apology came from you and how much was Elena?"

"I wish I could say at least 50/50, but it's probably more like 80/20," admitted Damon.

Josie rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Well, I appreciate your honesty."

The dance ended and Damon released her.

As he started to walk away, Josie grabbed him.

"I didn't answer your question," she said, looking into his eyes. "It's all true. Everything I told Elena, it's true. I wish it weren't."

Damon nodded, returning her gaze. "I believe you."

"Thanks," she said, smiling.

Damon returned her smile, then his face darkened when something behind Josie caught his eye.

"Hey Klaus," said Damon in an unfriendly tone.

"I don't recall seeing you on the guest list," said Klaus, coming up behind Josie and putting a possessive arm around her waist.

"I'm a plus one," replied Damon with a fake smile.

"I need another drink, Klaus," said Josie, tugging him towards the bar. "Come on."

They were halfway to the bar when Josie had a vision. It was Elena and Esther, where Esther was trying to get Elena to donate her blood to link the siblings together.

"I understand that Rebekah shared the story of our family," Esther said. "How I upset the balance of nature by turning my children into vampires."

"She said you did it to protect them from the werewolves," said Elena.

"It true. But in no time at all, they began to feed on human blood. They ravaged the town with no remorse... Eventually, Niklaus turned against me."

"Because you cursed him" said Elena, frowning. "Rebekah said you were ashamed of the affair you'd had."

"I was only trying to appease my husband," replied Esther, sighing. "Mikael was perhaps the most dangerous of my creations… But it is time to undo the evil I created."

"How?" asked Elena, even though she already knew.

"It will take time… magic, and your assistance."

"What do I have to do with it?" asked Elena, taking a step back. "Why did you ask me here?"

"My children believe I am holding this ball to celebrate our reunion. But in truth I've gathered them together to perform a ritual. The first step requires blood from the doppelganger. Only a drop. Its essence will be in the champagne toast later on this evening."

Esther grabbed a knife from a nearby table. "Will you do it?"

Elena narrowed her eyes. "What ritual?"

"I do not intend to kill them," said Esther. "If that's what you're worried about. I only mean to reverse their vampirism. Turn them mortal again."

"Mortal?"

"Yes, Elena," said Esther. "To live the life they should have had a thousand years ago. I know my son is in love with your sister. Surely you realize what will happen? Niklaus will turn her eventually, doom her to his fate. I'm giving her the chance to be happy with him, as a human. They can have a normal life. Give you nieces and nephews. Tell me Elena, which life do you want for her?"

Elena looked hesitant, as if she was unsure what to do.

"My children have killed thousands throughout the ages," said Esther. "And will kill thousands more. All I'm asking is for a drop of your blood to end it."

Elena tilted her head, deep in thought.

"You promise that you won't kill them," said Elena, slipping off her glove.

"Yes," replied Esther, smiling.

Then she used the knife to prick Elena's finger and let the blood drip into the champagne glass.

Josie came back to reality, still in the middle of the foyer with Klaus.

She pulled out her phone and wrote down what she had seen, forwarding it to him in a text. He nodded and forwarded it to all his siblings, except Finn, so they were aware as well.

Klaus and Josie were at the bar when Josie's friends came up to them. Klaus was all charm, complimenting Tracy and Bridget's dresses and talking with Colin about some of the interior design choices he'd made on the house. Josie worked hard to contain her laughter when Tracy suggested that Klaus join them on their next bowling night. Though he politely declined, the mental image of Klaus in bowling shoes was one she wouldn't soon forget.

A little while later, they were all called into the foyer to hear Esther's ridiculous, contrite toast.

"It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one," said Esther, raising her champagne glass. "I'd like to thank you all for this spectacular evening. Cheers!"

Everyone raised their glasses and drank, but, looking closely, none of the Original Siblings, save Finn, actually took a sip. Josie turned her head towards the staircase, where Esther had just taken her own sip of the champagne. Esther's smug face turned sour and she dropped her champagne glass, collapsing to the ground. Finn was by her side immediately, hovering over his mother in a clearly protective stance.

Josie just looked at Klaus, who smiled and pulled out his phone, sending the text message he'd been waiting all evening to send.

 _Earlier That Morning, Fells Church_

 _"Okay," Josie frowned when her phone buzzed again. "Seriously… I should get to school before my sister sends out a search party."_

 _Josie sighed and put her phone away, looking back at Klaus._

 _"I'll see you la-"_

 _Her sentence was cut off by a vision. She saw Bonnie and Abby Bennett, standing in the ruins of a house. Bonnie was muttering something while pushing her hand against an invisible barrier across the front door._

 _"Why don't you come and have something to eat?" asked Abby, indicating a bag of fast food._

 _"We have to get out of here, Abby," said Bonnie. "I don't care what Esther said. There's something she's not telling us. Why trap us here?"_

 _Abby sighed. "I don't know. But a witch like Esther with our entire bloodline at her beck-and-call, I don't think you're going to break through that barrier."_

 _Bonnie sighed and took the hamburger Abby offered._

 _"Someone will find us," said Bonnie confidently. "I'm sure my friends are looking for us right now."_

 _Abby shook her head. "You weren't awake when Esther was enchanting this place. Not only does that barrier keep us in and everyone else out, but it keeps them from even seeing this place. This looks like an empty lot to them. I'm sorry, Bonnie, but no one's coming."_

 _The scene faded away and Josie was pulled back to reality._

 _Klaus looked down at her with raised eyebrows._

 _"I know where the Bennetts are," Josie said, smiling._

 _"Excellent," said Klaus. "I'll drive."_

 _Josie shook her head. "Knowing where they are isn't going to help us."_

 _Josie explained the enchanted barrier problem._

 _"But there has to be a way to disrupt it, right?" asked Josie. "Another witch?"_

 _"Perhaps. One just as powerful as Esther, but we just discussed how those are in short supply and none would be willing to oppose her."_

 _Josie sighed, trying to remember all the ways they'd disrupted magic on the show._

 _"What about a dark object? Maybe Kol has an idea?" asked Josie._

 _"Perhaps," said Klaus. "Normally I'd simply kill the witch who was responsible for maintaining the barrier, but…"_

 _"If we could just kill your mother outright, we wouldn't need Bonnie and her mother," finished Josie._

 _Klaus nodded. "Yes. Even incapacitating her temporarily would be difficult, given all the power she is channeling and her Finn-shaped shadow…"_

 _"Incapacitate?" asked Josie. "You mean if Esther were to lose consciousness, even for a few seconds, it would be enough to disrupt the barrier?"_

 _"Yes, but again…"_

 _"She's going to use the essence of Elena's blood in the champagne toast tonight," said Josie._

 _Klaus looked at her quizically for a second, then smiled deviously as he understood._

 _"You want to drug your sister?" he asked._

 _Josie rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic… I know there are herbs that will affect a witch and nobody else. Like magic-muting, dizziness-inducing herbs."_

 _Klaus just smiled that wicked smile. "You speak with Elena, I'll obtain the herbs and make sure we have a few hybrids on standby, ready pull the Bennetts out the moment Esther is unconscious."_

 _Josie nodded, running a hand over his chest. "You're kinda sexy when you're plotting."_

 _Klaus smiled, pulling her into his arms. "Was your wickedly brilliant idea, my love. But I'm happy to execute."_

 _End Flashback_

Esther was back on her feet within a few seconds, seemingly fine.

"Mother's just returned from a long journey," said Finn, addressing the concerned crowd, who had all seen Esther collapse. "She'll be fine with a bit of rest."

Finn took Esther by the arm and led her out of the foyer, presumably to her room. Elijah followed, playing the loyal, noble son.

Josie smiled. Elena's ruse with Esther had worked perfectly. The Original Witch truly believed she had 'convinced' Elena to donate her blood.

Klaus' phone buzzed again and he smiled when he read the message.

"What is it?" asked Josie.

Klaus just handed her his phone.

'We have the Bennetts,' it read. 'We're bringing them to Mason's now.'

Josie smiled, knowing Elena would be heading over there, as agreed, to explain the sireline problem and Esther's plan to Bonnie and Abby. Hopefully, the Bennetts would be able to disrupt the link before Esther knew they were gone. If not, hybrids had been posted at all entry points of the Mikaelson house, ready to alert Mason that Esther was escaping and that Abby Bennett needed to be turned.

Josie felt a bit bad about that, but knew that Abby had rejected the cure when offered later, so her guilt was manageable.

Josie mingled for a while longer, finding her friends after Klaus went to speak to his hybrids, but soon the party was over and Klaus convinced Josie to spend the night with him. She agreed, as the next day was Saturday.

"Did you have fun tonight?" he asked as they laid in bed.

"Some," she replied. "You?"

"Some," he smiled. "You should wear dresses more often."

"I wear them to all the Founder's events," said Josie. "But other than that, I don't really see a need."

"Perhaps, given things are… taken care of soon, we can go someplace you'll need one."

Josie sat up, looking Klaus in the eye.

"Like a date?" she asked.

Of all the times they'd had meals together, gone places together, even after they'd started sleeping together, none of it had ever really been an official date.

Klaus tilted his head. "If you're amenable."

Josie smiled and kissed him. "I think I can be… amenable."

Their first date.

"Excellent," said Klaus, pulling her back down to lay next to him.

They talked for a little while longer before turning out the lights and going to sleep.

 **A/N: I'm glad some people are noticing that through circumstances and Josie's influence, Elena is (imo) staying truer to her origins as a character (not the self-centered person she became in later seasons). I mean Elena was the only one in canon out of the whole Scooby gang that had reservations about Esther offing her kids, especially Elijah. So, I apologize to the Elena haters- I'm actively trying to keep her character likeable. I hope it works :-/**


	52. All My Children (Part One)

Josie woke up to Klaus kissing her neck. She slowly woke up as his lips traveled down her body, first her chest, then stomach, then he spread her legs and settled himself between them. It wasn't too long before she was fully awake and dragging him up her body so she could reach completion the way she preferred- with his length buried inside her.

Afterwards, he softly kissed her as she caught her breath before slipping from within her and pulling her close to him.

A knock on the door interrupted them.

"Nik…" said Rebekah, breezing into the room.

"Rebekah!" scolded Klaus, making sure Josie was covered with the sheet.

Josie frowned. "Seriously, Rebekah. Uh, boundaries."

Rebekah just rolled her eyes. "We used to live in a two room house together."

Josie reached over and grabbed one of Klaus' shirts that was on the nearby dresser, putting it on.

"What do you want, Rebekah?" growled Klaus.

"Mother is insisting you join us for breakfast. Seeing as how you were absent yesterday. You too, Josie."

Josie rolled her eyes. Clearly, Esther was keeping up the mother dearest act since her linking spell from the day before had failed.

"Why do I have to go?" asked Josie.

"It was always our custom to have overnight guests share in the morning meal," Rebekah answered.

Josie sighed, knowing it was probably best to play along. The Bennetts were still working on disrupting their link to Esther, so it was a good idea to distract Esther and Finn as long as possible.

Before she could ponder more about Esther's breakfast, she had another thought.

"Is your whole family going to be there?" asked Josie, not really wanting to see Kol after he'd hit on her last night.

She wondered if Elijah had spoken to Klaus about it, like he said he would.

"Of course," replied Rebekah.

"Well, that's lovely," said Klaus, sarcastically. "Would you mind vacating my room so we can get dressed?"

"With pleasure," said Rebekah with a fake smile.

"Wait, Rebekah!" exclaimed Josie, who suddenly had an idea. "I just want to make sure… Just a second."

She leaned down to her purse and grabbed her knife.

"Trust me," she said, reaching for Klaus' palm.

Then she sliced it open.

"What the bloody… oh," said Klaus, turning to Rebekah.

Rebekah's palm wasn't cut. They had succeeded. The siblings weren't linked. All three of them smiled.

"See you downstairs," said Rebekah. "Breakfast is being served in 30 minutes."

She left the room and closed the door behind her.

Josie frowned, not wanting to get out of bed and certainly not wanting to have breakfast with Esther or Kol.

"It shouldn't take too long, love," said Klaus, giving her a kiss.

Josie nodded, still thinking about Kol.

"I spoke to Elijah," said Klaus, as if reading her thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"I'm not sure what game Kol is playing at, but rest assured he will find himself back in a box if he persists."

Josie rolled her eyes. "Isn't that why he's trying to get back at you in the first place?"

Klaus growled. "You'd prefer I let him have free reign to do as he pleases with you?"

"Do as he pleases with me?" she repeated. "He can't… wait a second." She looked into his eyes, curiously. "Are you… jealous?"

Klaus clenched his jaw. "Don't be absurd…"

Josie shook her head. "I don't think he's actually interested. He's just trying to piss you off."

"Is he?" asked Klaus. "This isn't his usual method of revenge. A hex or a bloodbath is more his style."

Josie bit her lip, knowing she had to tell Klaus about the weird feeling she got around Kol.

She grabbed her phone and turned on the white noise app so they couldn't be overheard as long as they didn't speak too loudly.

"What if someone put a hex on him?" she asked in a low voice. "Or rather, both of us?"

Klaus frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I get this strange feeling when I'm around him," she explained. "At first I thought I was just imagining it. It completely vanishes when he's gone. But if Kol's acting weird, maybe he's feeling it too."

"What type of feeling?" growled Klaus, clearly trying to keep calm.

Josie frowned. "It's not romantic or sexual, per say. It is… positive, though. Like it's telling me he's a friend. Someone who should be trusted, someone good, even when he acts like an asshole. Maybe if he's getting the same thing, but because he's a vampire, it's all heightened? Or maybe my necklace protects me a little. I don't know. I don't understand it."

Now Klaus looked concerned. "You think it could be a spell?"

"You tell me," said Josie, shrugging. "You've never heard of something like this?"

Klaus shook his head. "No. Neither of you can be compelled. But magic can be used as mind control, by a very skilled witch."

Josie raised her eyebrows, knowing what he was implying: Esther had done this.

"Why would your mother want to draw Kol and me together?" asked Josie. "How will that help her?"

"A distraction?" mused Klaus. "Even if she believes her censor spell on you is still intact, she knows her children are quite capable of stopping her on our own. This could be a means to divide us."

"Maybe," conceded Josie. "So what do we do?"

"First we must stop her," said Klaus, reluctantly. "Sever her link to the Bennett line. Then we can investigate this… situation."

Clearly Klaus didn't like the idea that something was pulling Kol and Josie together.

Josie nodded. "Right. I'll just stay away from Kol in the meantime."

"And I shall ensure he stays away from you," said Klaus, darkly.

Josie rolled her eyes, but nodded. It's not like she wanted to be around Kol, with that strange feeling lurking in the background.

"Klaus…" She took his hand and linked her fingers with his. "You know nothing would ever happen between Kol and me. I'm yours, remember?"

Klaus' eyes darkened and he rolled her over so he was on top of her, between her spread legs.

"I remember, my love," he growled, then leaned down to give her a searing kiss.

She was just about to remind him that they had breakfast in 30 minutes when she found herself on her hands and knees, him pushing inside her. He fucked her roughly, bending down to kiss the spot where he'd marked her.

"You're mine," he growled, running his hands over her. "All mine."

"Yes, Klaus…" Josie moaned. "Yours."

She bit her lip, feeling her orgasm coming, but trying to concentrate. Sure enough, just as she was climaxing, she felt his teeth sink into the back of her neck, all the pain cancelled out by the bliss that flooded her body. Klaus gave a few jerks before coming himself, collapsing on top of her, covering her body with his.

"We could just skip breakfast. Stay in bed all day," offered Josie as Klaus rolled to the side, pulling her back against his chest.

"I was thinking I could give you your first archery lesson today," said Klaus, nuzzling her neck.

Josie smiled and turned to face him.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "I'll need to go home and change after breakfast though."

He gave her one more kiss before climbing out of bed and getting dressed. Josie followed suit and put on the outfit she'd worn the day before, though Klaus let her borrow one of his t-shirts to throw over her jeans. She took a few minutes to freshen up in the bathroom as well.

They were just leaving his room when Josie's phone rang. It was Jeremy.

"Hey, Jer," she answered.

"Hey, Jo."

"What's up? Everything okay?"

"Yeah," he responded. "I'm heading over to the Mikealsons' in a little while and was wondering if you wanted me to bring you anything."

Josie frowned. "Why are you coming over here?"

"Kol invited me," he answered.

"Kol?" Josie repeated, surprised.

"Yeah. Last night. We were talking and he said they have targets and crossbows in the backyard."

Josie sighed, knowing she wasn't the only Gilbert that wanted to learn to shoot a bow and arrow. Kol and Jeremy being friends though… She hoped it had nothing to do with Kol wanting to get back at Klaus.

"Kol is kind of dangerous," she said.

Jeremy just laughed. "You're dating the Original Hybrid, Jo. Isn't he the most dangerous one of them all?"

Josie laughed too. Jeremy had a point.

"Fine, can you have Elena pack me a bag? Oh, and can you bring over the stake that Alaric brought last night?"

"Sure," said Jeremy. "You know… Alaric told me you said the stake belonged to a famous hunter and that you got it this summer."

"Yeah," said Josie, frowning.

"But it's one of the stakes you and I whittled together in the spring." He paused. "It's white oak, isn't it?"

"Stop being so clever, Jer," she smiled, shaking her head. "Just bring it, okay? Klaus will take care of it."

"Sure. I'll see you in an hour."

Josie hung up and looked at Klaus who nodded, indicating he'd heard the stake talk. He bent down to kiss her before they headed downstairs to breakfast.

When they entered the dining room, everyone else was already there. Esther sat at the head of the table with Kol to her right. Next to Kol was Rebekah, then Elijah. To Esther's left was Finn and then two empty seats. Klaus took the seat next to Finn, steering Josie towards the chair at the end, as far away from both Esther and Kol as possible. The electricity with Kol was still there, but the table was sufficiently large enough that it was barely noticeable.

"Well, isn't this lovely?" said Esther, as a number of waiters came in with a bunch of breakfast dishes.

Josie personally thought it was a little silly, given Esther and Josie were the only ones that really needed to eat. She understood why Esther was going through this stupid charade, playing the doting mother and all, but it was still annoying.

They all talked for a little while about the ball the night before, the guests, the dancing, the champagne toast.

"Did everyone enjoy the champagne?" asked Esther, looking around.

"We were too worried about you, Mother," said Elijah, full of fake affection. "I think after you collapsed we quite forgot about the champagne."

"I see," sighed Esther. "Well, perhaps we can have some at dinner tonight. I really don't know what came over me."

"You were simply tired, I'm sure," said Finn, placing a hand on Esther's arm.

"It was not an easy journey from the Other Side," agreed Esther.

"Perhaps you'd like to rest after breakfast?" offered Rebekah. "We can have tea sent up."

Esther nodded.

After the plates had been cleared, everyone scattered except Josie, Klaus and Elijah. They talked about plans for the day, albeit in generalities so that if Esther or Finn were listening, they wouldn't know what exactly they were talking about.

"The deadline is at sundown today," said Klaus, firmly. "Then we go to Plan B."

By which, Josie and Elijah knew he meant that the Bennetts had until sunset tonight to disrupt the link, otherwise Abby would be turned.

"Agreed," said Elijah, sipping his coffee.

Josie nodded too. Sundown seemed reasonable, given the siblings weren't linked together.

"I am planning on visiting the mayor this morning to discuss town business," said Elijah.

Which of course meant he was going to be overseeing the Bennetts at the Lockwoods'.

"Klaus is going to teach me how to shoot," smiled Josie.

"Well it's a good thing Nik's indestructible," said Kol, coming into the room. "If he were a regular bloke, he'd be dead by midday."

Josie scoffed. "What does that mean? You think I can't be a good shot because I'm a girl?"

"Of course not, darling. Nik's just a crap teacher. I've always been better with my bow. I always hit the mark." Kol smiled wolfishly. "I'd love to show you."

Josie gritted her teeth against the stupid electricity feeling, giving her warm feelings for Kol even when his words and actions made him an asshole.

"That's enough, Kol," said Elijah, eyeing Klaus' angry face.

But Kol went on undeterred. "I would have shown you last night if we hadn't been so rudely interrupted. Perhaps later…"

At that, Klaus growled and leapt up. Elijah intervened and placed himself between Kol and Klaus.

"Stay away from her!" Klaus threatened. "Just because I've decided not to punish you for last night does not give you permission to do it again."

"We are family," said Elijah, looking hard at Kol. "This type of behavior is unacceptable."

"Yet keeping me in a box for a century is perfectly fine?" asked Kol, angrily.

"Given how averse you are to that box, one would think you'd stop behaving in a way that will earn you a one way ticket back to it," returned Klaus.

"I'd like to see you…" Kol began.

"Stop it!" shouted Josie, getting up from her chair. "Both of you! You're brothers!" She turned to Klaus. "You have to stop threatening to dagger him, Klaus. I would think now that you know how it feels to be daggered yourself, you'd stop it."

Klaus narrowed his eyes, but Josie just continued, turning to Kol. "And you, stop involving me in your plan to irritate your brother. I don't want any part of it. I don't care if some weirdo spell has been put on us. You…"

"You feel it too?" cut in Kol, clearly surprised. "This connection…"

Josie stepped away from Kol and walked over to Klaus, grabbing his hand in a blatant show of their relationship. Given Klaus' reaction and his history, she knew it was important to reinforce her loyalty and affection for him.

"I do," said Josie, tightly. "But it's obviously not natural. So I suggest we just ignore it until we have time to fix it."

Kol narrowed his eyes. "How do you know it's magic?"

Because it has to be, Josie thought. She looked up at Klaus and squeezed his hand.

"I just know," she said, not even looking at Kol.

Elijah cleared his throat. "Sundown cannot come soon enough."

Josie secretly agreed. She didn't want Abby to die, but they needed to kill Esther and hopefully get Bonnie fix her and Kol.

"Hey, Jo," said Jeremy, suddenly appearing in the doorway. "Everything okay, here? Finn let me in."

"Yeah," Josie said, forcing a smile.

"Here's your stuff," he said, handing her a duffel bag.

"Thanks."

She gave Klaus the bag, not wanting to take the white oak stake out until Klaus had a fire going to burn it.

"Can you bring this upstairs when you're finished?" she asked Klaus. "I want to take a shower before our lesson."

"Alright," answered Klaus.

"Lesson?" asked Jeremy, eyebrow raised.

Josie smiled. "You're not the only one who's going to be shooting arrows today."

"Cool," returned Jeremy, smiling.

"Come on, mate," said Kol. "The archery range is this way."

Jeremy and Kol started to go through a set of double doors.

"Wait," said Josie. "Kol?"

"Yes?"

"You hurt my brother I'll dagger you myself," she said, eyes narrowed.

"Jo…" said Jeremy, rolling his eyes.

"And I'll happily hold you down," said Klaus.

Kol just shook his head and led Jeremy out the back door.

After saying goodbye to Elijah, Josie headed up the stairs to Klaus' room and made a beeline for the bathroom. She took an extra long shower and was just getting out when Klaus came into his room.

"All done?" she asked.

He nodded. "Done."

Phew. The last of the white oak was gone.

"Everything okay?" she asked, wondering if he was still upset about Kol.

Klaus sighed, wrapping his arms around her towel-clad body.

"You share some inexplicable connection to my brother."

"It's not real," said Josie, running a hand up his chest. "Us. My feelings for you. That's real. Nothing's changed." She frowned. "At least, I mean, not for me."

"You're still mine, my love," smiled Klaus, grabbing the back of her head and running his hand over the fresh bite mark he'd put there this morning.

"Right," she smiled, hoping Klaus didn't notice it was a little forced.

She didn't mind that Klaus was possessive. She accepted it as part of who and what he was (mainly his werewolf side). But she'd admitted the day before in the woods how much she cared about him and all she got in return was the reaffirmation that she was his 'territory'.

She knew Klaus wasn't one to emote easily and that, due to his horrible, broken past, he never would be, but she was afraid she was the only one emotionally invested in this relationship. She wished she knew what he was thinking, rather than having to read into his actions and words all the time.

She was just afraid of being hurt. How could she not be? As much as she'd tried to keep her feelings in check and under control, she knew the truth- she was falling in love with him. Could he, would he ever return her feelings?

"Are you alright?" asked Klaus, peering with concern into her face.

She nodded, going for a genuine smile before quickly turning around.

"I'm fine. Just want this whole situation fixed."

She could see his frown out of the corner of her eye, but just grabbed the bag Jeremy had brought and started to get dressed.

 **A/N: There is a point (a pretty important one, actually) to what's going on with Kol and Josie, I promise. It's not just drama for the sake of drama.**


	53. All My Children (Part Two)

When Josie finished dressing, Klaus was looking out the window.

She came to stand next to him, seeing that he was watching Kol and Jeremy shoot crossbows in the archery range.

"We can shoot another day if you want," offered Josie, not wanting another confrontation between Kol and Klaus.

"There's plenty of room in the target area," Klaus said stubbornly.

Clearly, he wasn't going to be kicked out of his own archery range by Kol.

"Just remember that I offered," she said, rolling her eyes at male egos.

15 minutes later, Klaus and Josie were standing in front of a target and Klaus was explaining the different parts of a bow, shooting techniques, etc. She appreciated it, but after another ten minutes, she really just wanted to try shooting.

She bit her lip, looking over at Kol and Jeremy. They had been shooting arrows since Josie and Klaus had joined them on the range. Kol must have seen her looking because he cleared his throat and began speaking loudly.

"Learn by doing, Jeremy," he said. "Why wax poetic about proper grips when what you really need is the feel of the bow in your hand?"

Klaus called Josie's name and she blinked, looking up into his face.

"Sorry, right," she said, trying to remember what he'd been talking about. "Pull to the anchor point."

Klaus looked over at Kol with an unfriendly gaze.

"Why don't we just try it, my love?" he asked.

Josie nodded and tried to grip the bow how he'd described. He chuckled and placed her hands where they should be. Then he moved in behind her, his chest flush against her back, his mouth near her ear. All of a sudden, her breath deepened and her heart rate picked up at his closeness.

"Are you alright?" he whispered, running his hands down her arms to help guide her in drawing the bow.

"I'm fine," she said, trying to focus on the bow.

"You'll never hit the target if you can't concentrate," he teased, giving her a small kiss on the neck.

"I can't concentrate when you do that," she said, tightly.

"Do what?" he asked. "This?"  
He kissed her neck again, but this time he lingered for a little longer, adding a bit of tongue.

Josie bit her lip, trying to suppress a moan. She knew why he was doing this. Even if she understood to a certain extent, she didn't want Klaus to get away with it completely.

So she arched her back slightly and ground her ass into his groin. She was rewarded with a barely-audible growl. A few more seconds and she felt a hard poke on her backside. She smirked, knowing that sometimes, the vampire ability to be ready in seconds was not always a good thing.

"Careful, love," he whispered. "Before I take you behind the hedges and have my wicked way with you."

Josie felt a spike of desire rush through her at his words.

"Dude, that's my sister," said Jeremy, who had finally noticed that the bow was limp in her hands and Klaus' arms were around her, his face buried in her neck.

Jeremy's words were like being doused with cold water. Josie stepped away from Klaus and held the bow up again.

"Sorry, Jer," she said, turning toward Klaus. "Can we shoot now?"

Klaus just smirked and began helping her adjust her stance, this time from a comfortable distance.

After a few hours of shooting, Elijah came and reported that while the Bennetts weren't having much luck, Esther and Finn were still in the house. Josie gently suggested Kol might be able to help the Bennetts, since he knew a lot about magic. They agreed and Kol left for the Lockwoods, hopefully to disrupt Esther's link to the Bennetts.

Elijah had asked the staff to bring a picnic lunch for them and so Elijah, Klaus, Josie and Jeremy enjoyed a nice lunch sitting on blankets in the target area.

Jeremy, like Josie, was fascinated when Klaus and Elijah started talking about their past.

"Jackson Pollock was a drama queen?" Jeremy repeated in surprise.

"Well, what does one expect with all the jumping about he did just to make one of his silly paintings," drawled Elijah, clearly unimpressed. "It was Niklaus who insisted we meet him."

"Fortunate I did," countered Klaus. "He died in a car accident not a year after we left New York."

"Yes, quite the tragedy," said Elijah, though clearly he thought it was anything but.

"He's supposed to be one of the greatest artists of the modern day," said Josie. "Even I've heard of him."

Josie respected and appreciated Klaus' interest in art, though her own appreciation was much more casual.

"He is, Jo," said Jeremy. "His paintings go for millions. And they're impossible to fake."

"Art is more than dollar signs and authenticity, Jeremy," said Klaus. "Jackson was a tormented man, an alcoholic for most of his life. He flung the paint upon the canvas, not caring where it ebbed and flowed. The colors blurred and chaos ensued... In the end, he became his paintings."

Josie reached out and grasped Klaus' hand. He was just so passionate. Whether it was destroying his enemies or creating a beautiful work of art, he did it with everything he had. It was one of the things she liked most about him.

"It's so cool that you met him," said Jeremy. "I've never even seen one of his paintings in person."

Klaus smiled. "Perhaps a trip to the Guggenheim? You've been saying you'd like to go back to New York, love."

"Well I liked the bagels," said Josie, smiling.

"I dig bagels," smiled Jeremy.

At that moment, a number of the hybrids appeared. Apparently, Elijah and Klaus had promised to spar with them. Josie and Jeremy watched as Elijah and Klaus sparred with the hybrids and, once, with each other.

It was more appealing that she thought it would be. Without the mess of killing, it was kinda hot. She considered telling them that maybe they should take off their shirts (you know, to avoid ruining them), but she thought they might take it the wrong way.

A few hours later, the hybrids left, leaving Josie, Klaus, Elijah and Jeremy alone once again.

"I didn't get a turn," said Jeremy, shaking his head.

Josie frowned. "It not exactly a fair fight, Jer."

"It's never a fair fight," he countered. "We don't all have Original Hybrid bodyguards."

"Anna isn't exactly helpless," said Josie, shaking her head.

"Exactly," said Jeremy. "I want to hold my own."

Josie opened her mouth to protest, but Elijah cut in.

"Then I challenge you," said Elijah, giving a little bow.

"Alright," smiled Jeremy. "Let's do this."

Josie sighed, realizing he wasn't going to be deterred. She'd taken a few lessons in basic combat from one of the hybrids, Dave, who was ex-military, but as Dave (and every other vampire had ever told her), even newbie vampires were so much faster and stronger than humans, it was nearly a pointless exercise.

Josie knew resourcefulness and quick thinking were much better tools against vampires than trying to take them on physically.

"No vampire speed or strength," said Josie, crossing her arms.

"On my honor," said Elijah, tilting his head.

He handed Jeremy a sword, taking no weapon for himself.

Jeremy looked unsure at first, but as he lunged for Elijah again and again, he quickly gained confidence.

"Your brother's not bad for an amateur," whispered Klaus, sliding an arm around Josie's waist as they watched.

Josie nodded, wondering if it was Jeremy or some innate potential hunter thing.

After a few minutes, Jeremy nearly got Elijah in the arm. Elijah retaliated by knocking the sword out of Jeremy's hands. Jeremy grinned, running toward the sword, ducking under Elijah's arm and grabbing it by the hilt. Then he pivoted and, just as Elijah was turning around to face Jeremy, Jeremy brought the sword up and managed to nick Elijah's leg.

Elijah smiled and offered Jeremy his hand.

"Not bad," he said, helping Jeremy up.

Klaus gasped at that moment, moving his hand to his own leg.

"What's wrong?" asked Josie.

Klaus removed his arm from around Josie's waist and ripped a hole in his pant leg. There, to everyone's horror, was a wound identical to Elijah's. It healed in an instant, but the implication was clear: somehow, someway, the siblings (or at least Elijah and Klaus) were linked.

"How is this possible?" asked Elijah. "Rebekah told me of your successful test this morning."

"You haven't had any more champagne," said Josie in confusion.

"Such a narrow view," said a voice from the hedge.

Klaus, Josie, Elijah and Jeremy looked up and saw Esther standing there with Finn.

Esther raised her hand and Finn immediately fell to his knees, gripping his head. Similarly, Elijah and Klaus were soon gripping their heads in pain.

"After last night I suspected my censor spell no longer held sway," said Esther. "You didn't even consider that I had other intentions for our shared breakfast."

So that's how she'd linked the siblings, through their breakfast that morning. She must have laced the food with leftover champagne. Fucking bitch.

"Stop it!" screamed Josie as Klaus and Elijah growled in pain. "These are your children. Stop hurting them!"

"I am only trying to save them," said Esther. "I will honor my promise to you, Josie."

She turned her gaze to Klaus and Elijah.

"For a thousand years, I've been forced to watch you, felt the pain of every victim, suffered while you shed blood. Tonight, it ends."

There was a flash of light and then Esther and Finn were gone.

Klaus was on his feet immediately, pulling out his phone the next second.

"Kol," he said into the phone. "We're all linked as you're no doubt aware. Turn the older one now."

Then he hung up.

So Abby was going to be in Kol's sireline. That was interesting.

"What the bloody hell happened?" asked Rebekah, who had just appeared.

"Your mother," said Josie, shaking her head.

Elijah and Klaus quickly filled Rebekah in on what had happened.

Josie felt awful. She was the one who had insisted they try and give the Bennetts time to disrupt their link to Esther without turning Abby. Now, they were in the exact same place they were in the original storyline: the siblings were linked and Esther and Finn were gone.

She wondered if Klaus was right about Esther messing with Josie and Kol. Josie had been so worried about facing Kol at breakfast, she hadn't given much thought to Esther's motivations beyond the obvious. Klaus had been the same.

"So we're all linked together, but Mother no longer has the power to turn us mortal," said Rebekah in summation.

"Yes," said Klaus, looking at his phone. "Abby Bennett is dead. Kol just turned her."

"How do we become unlinked?" asked Rebekah.

"We need blood from each of you and a witch," answered Josie.

"Still one Bennett witch left," said Klaus.

"Finn's blood will be more problematic," said Elijah.

"Can't you just do a locator spell?" asked Jeremy.

Elijah shook his head. "Mother and Finn are no doubt cloaked. They knew they were departing when they came to confront us. All that power… I would not be surprised if she used a teleportation spell to leave."

"She'll know we severed the link between her and the Bennetts," said Josie. "I would guess she and Finn will be gone from Mystic Falls soon, if they aren't already."

"An old-fashioned man-hunt," smiled Klaus bitterly. "One does love the classics."

Josie sighed. "Without all that power, it's going to be hard for her to turn you guys human again. Or even just straight-up kill you if that's what she wants now."

It was her only consolation. In the original storyline, Esther had turned Alaric into an Original Vampire and armed him with an indestructible white oak stake. Here, Alaric had only used the ring twice and wasn't going crazy. Plus, they had just destroyed the last of the white oak. So they had some time to find Esther.

They all walked back to the house, talking through strategies of how to find and defeat Finn and Esther. Despite how the day had ended, Josie was pleased that all the siblings were working together and none of them had the intention of leaving Mystic Falls and splitting up as they had in the original storyline, not even Kol, according to Klaus.

Josie and Jeremy stayed for a while and helped the siblings make plans for their search. Klaus was in his element, plotting and scheming and Josie could tell he was glad he had the rest of his family with him.

Even when Kol came back, Klaus welcomed him back and Kol, to his credit, barely glanced at Josie before joining the group's discussion. Josie was glad they seemed to be willing to forget their earlier altercation in order to conspire against their mother together.

After a while, Josie and Jeremy had to leave.

"We need to get going," said Josie. "Jeremy has a date with Anna and I'm having dinner with my friends."

Klaus nodded. "Have fun, love."

Josie smiled and gave him a kiss. Jeremy and Josie said good-bye to the Mikaelsons and left.

After dinner with her friends, Josie came home and found Elena and Jenna eating ice cream from the carton in the kitchen.

"Hey Jo," said Elena. "Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough?"

Josie nodded and Elena handed her a spoon.

"We out of bowls?" asked Josie, smiling.

"Salvatore problems," said Jenna, rolling her eyes.

Josie frowned. "What happened?"

"Damon thinks loving someone means controlling them," said Jenna, before Elena could say anything.

Elena sighed and told Josie what had happened at the ball last night. Apparently, after the dance, Damon had found Elena drinking the special magic-muting herbs and figured out the plan for her meeting with Esther. Damon had, of course, tried to stop Elena, and so she had conspired with Stefan to snap Damon's neck. Once he awoke, Elena had already met with Esther and Damon was angry with both Stefan and Elena.

"Did you see him at all today?" asked Josie.

"I was at the Grill with Care, getting lunch to take to Bonnie and Abby, and Damon was already drunk," said Elena, sighing. "He said he couldn't believe I was running errands for the Originals."

Josie rolled her eyes. "Does he hear himself when he talks?"

"It gets better," said Jenna, taking another scoop.

Elena continued. "Mason Lockwood overheard Damon and Damon decided to pick a fight with Mason by insulting Klaus, you and Rebekah. I think Mason would have bit Damon if Stefan hadn't intervened."

"Wow," said Josie, shaking her head. "Damon seemed so much better last night at the ball."

"Once a jerk, always a jerk," said Jenna. She turned to Josie. "Don't think I approve of your choice in men either."

"We can't all be dating our dream guy, Jenna," said Elena, tilting her head.

"Speaking of… did Alaric tell you where he's taking you next weekend?" asked Josie.

"It's a surprise," said Jenna, her eyes lighting up.

Elena, Josie and Jenna continued eating ice cream, trying to guess where Alaric was taking Jenna for their weekend getaway.

It was nearly midnight and Josie was just climbing into bed when her phone beeped. It was Klaus, wondering if she was still awake. She wrote back in the affirmative and it was only a minute later that he was in her bedroom.

"Hey you," she smiled, giving him a kiss. "How was everything?"

Klaus pulled her down on the bed and explained everything he and his siblings had planned. Who would look where, how, etc. Klaus was confident they'd find Esther and Finn soon. Despite how the day had turned out, Josie was happy the Miklaelsons were working together, mostly because Klaus had this little smile on his face every time he said the word 'we' to refer to himself and his siblings.

The only thing she did not like were some of his plans for the hybrids, mainly that she and Elena were going to be given 24/7 protection.

"You think Finn or Esther will come after us?" asked Josie, confused.

"I'm not taking any chances," said Klaus. "Not with your safety."

Josie sighed, even if it made sense. Her visions could be a key weapon against Esther. And Elena's doppelganger blood put her at risk too.

Josie nodded. "Elena's not going to like it… I don't like it."

Klaus sighed. "Promise me you will not attempt to subvert them."

Josie bit her lip, knowing he was referring to the fact that she'd ditched her bodyguards over the summer once in New York.

"Yeah, okay."

Klaus sat up. "I'm serious, love. My mother is ruthless when she puts her mind to something. If something happened to you…" he trailed off.

"I have my necklace," said Josie. "I'll be fine."

"A powerful witch can unspell an object," said Klaus, sharply. "And it is not only death you need fear. You must be careful."

Josie nodded, a little taken aback by the seriousness of his tone. He did seem genuinely worried about her safety. It was kind of sweet. It was these types of conversations she hoped she wasn't misinterpreting when she thought he might actually care about her.

"I will. I promise."

Klaus smiled, then wrapped his arm around her more tightly.

"I won't let her hurt you," he whispered. "I'll never let anyone hurt you."

Josie smiled and ran a hand down his chest, dipping her hand under his shirt to feel the smooth skin of his stomach.

"You could have been made mortal tonight," said Josie after a long pause.

"Disappointed?" asked Klaus.

Josie shook her head. "What? No… You don't want to be mortal. I respect that. It should be your choice. Especially since you didn't get to decide the first time."

Klaus tilted his head, not saying anything.

Josie frowned, wondering if he didn't believe her. "I told you before your other face doesn't scare me. I don't care that you're a vampire. Or a werewolf. I like that you're different. Like me."

Klaus smiled at that. "You are unique, my love. Is that why you do not wish to turn? You're afraid you might lose your visions? Just as witches lose their powers?"

Josie laughed. "That only makes it more appealing, not less."

Klaus raised his eyebrows. "You're serious."

"Yeah, maybe, I don't know," said Josie. "I'm happy when I can help. When I can save people. But sometimes saving one person means letting another die." She sighed. "It's not a choice I ever wanted to make."

Klaus placed a small kiss on her forehead.

"I think you are perfect as you are," he said softly. "But if you wish it, I can turn you."

Josie blinked as his words sank in. "You would do that?"

He couldn't be serious. Even though she didn't work for him anymore, he still benefitted greatly from her visions. She'd made it clear she would never use them against him and his family. She couldn't believe he'd be willing to risk her losing them.

"Yes," he said, looking into her eyes. "Do you want to be a vampire?"

She didn't, but didn't want to hurt his feelings by saying it.

"I understand the benefits," she said instead. "But then there's the dying part. And the heightened emotions. Not to mention daylight."

"I'd get you a daylight ring," he cut in immediately.

"Right," said Josie, nodding.

"And I would help you through everything else," he said. "If that's what you want."

Josie sighed, trying a different tactic.

"I don't think we should risk losing my visions at the moment. With everything going on."

"Of course," said Klaus, nodding.

She felt bad when she thought she saw a small flicker of hurt cross his features, but figured she had just imagined it. It's not like she had never thought about becoming a vampire. But she was only seventeen and she still dreamt of going home eventually (though she had to admit the thought of leaving this world was becoming less and less appealing). Most importantly though, in her heart of hearts, she knew that the only reason she would ever want to live forever was if she found someone to share eternity with. What was the point otherwise?

She smiled as Klaus rolled over so he was on top of her. When he bent down to kiss and nuzzle her neck, she wondered if she would ever get tired of being with him, even if they had eternity.

 **A/N: So Esther's going to be around for a little longer (I have a bit of a twist in mind for her), but hey, all the siblings (save Finn) are working together, so that's something! I prefer my Mikaelsons a little more united than we're used to seeing. Those were my favorite parts of TO, honestly.**

 **Also, I hope it makes sense that Josie's feeling somewhat insecure about her relationship with Klaus. I think, as readers, we can see all the ways he shows that he cares about her, but being in that situation, without hearing the tangible words, it's easy to have doubts and thinking she's reading too much into everything. It's escalating because she realizes she's starting to fall for him and is afraid he doesn't feel the same way.**


	54. Gone

**A/N: You'll notice the title of this chapter isn't from the show. Given nothing in canon is currently happening in this story (Alaric going crazy, Rebekah looking for the white oak tree), keeping titles of episodes for chapters just didn't make sense. We're not completely AU of course, and some canon events will still be happening, but not enough to keep episode titles, I think (which sucks 'cause I'm not very good at naming chapters apparently).**

The next morning Josie woke up wrapped in Klaus' arms. It was already late, so she wrestled out of his embrace and jumped into the shower. She'd just finished washing her hair when he joined her. He kissed her as he grabbed the soap, washing her body thoroughly.

He let her return the favor, but when she spent a little extra time on his groin, he growled, lifting her up against the wall and thrusting into her. He captured her mouth to muffle her screams as she came around him before he spilled himself inside her.

She quickly finished getting ready before heading to The Tipping Pot to meet Elijah for brunch.

"Josie, my dear," said Elijah, rising from his chair when she approached.

"Hey Elijah," she smiled. "It's busy today."

Elijah smiled back. "Nothing a little compulsion can't fix."

Josie laughed.

"I took the liberty of ordering your usual," he said, as the waitress appeared with her drink.

She smiled. "Thanks."

"I trust my brother filled you in on our plans?" asked Elijah, sipping his coffee.

Josie nodded. "Yes. All of them."

Her eyes slid to the two hybrids standing outside the restaurant. Elijah followed her gaze and sighed.

"It's merely…"

"For our protection," finished Josie, nodding. "I know. I know. Makes me tempted to take him up on his offer, though."

Elijah tilted his head in confusion.

"Oh nothing," said Josie, dismissively. "We talked about turning me last night. It wasn't serious."

Elijah nearly spit out his drink. "Niklaus offered to turn you?"

"Well, yeah," shrugged Josie. "I was saying how my visions are a mixed blessing. How I don't like deciding who lives and who dies. We don't know that my visions will go away if I turn, but it's a possibility. Why are you surprised? I didn't say yes or anything…"

Elijah looked at her with a thoughtful expression before smiling.

"What is it?" asked Josie, tilting her head in confusion.

"Niklaus has turned many in his time as a vampire. At times it was for revenge, for amusement or simply because he needed someone to do his bidding. I can recall only one other time he turned someone out of… I suppose it can be called affection, even love."

Josie knew who Elijah was referring to: his adopted son, Marcel.

"In any case, I think it's best you remain human," said Elijah. "You are still quite young."

Josie nodded. "Yeah... So I heard you're headed to Toronto?"

"The last known residence of Sage," he said, nodding. "Of all my siblings, I am the one she will most likely receive willingly."

"Good luck," smiled Josie. "I wish I were going. I've never been to Canada."

"It's not the best time of year to visit," said Elijah, shaking his head.

October in Canada was probably pretty cold, even if the weather was still fairly nice in Mystic Falls.

"Well, don't forget to pack your scarf and earmuffs," teased Josie.

Elijah smiled, shaking his head.

"Which reminds me," said Josie, reaching down to pull a package from her purse. "Happy Early Birthday. Klaus told me your birthday is tomorrow. He just told me yesterday, so I didn't really have time to shop. It's not much…"

"Is it your birthday, honey?" asked the waitress, who'd stopped by their table to refill the coffee. "I'll have to get you a special slice of our apple pie."

"It's really not necessary…" began Elijah.

"Oh, don't be silly," continued the waitress. "Only get so many…"

Before Elijah could stop her, she'd already shouted to the guy behind the counter that they had a birthday at table four. Elijah frowned as he couldn't compel the whole restaurant and didn't want to make a scene.

"Sorry," said Josie, biting her lip. "But hey, free pie, right?"

Elijah just raised his eyebrows.

"Why don't you open it?" asked Josie.

Elijah picked up the package Josie had given him and opened it. He smiled when he saw what it was.

"I remember you liked Mary Higgins Clark," said Josie. "This one came out during the summer when you were daggered. I thought maybe you needed something to read on the plane to Toronto."

"I do," he said, smiling. "Thank you, my dear."

"You're welcome," she said, smiling back.

At that moment, the waitress came back with the slice of pie that had a burning candle in the center. Josie grimaced when the waitress (along with the other servers and many of the customers) started singing.

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you…"

"It was Niklaus who informed you it was my birthday?" asked Elijah, looking uncomfortable.

Josie nodded, quietly singing along.

"Happy Birthday dear Elijah…"

"Tell him I shall not forget this," said Elijah, tugging at his tie.

Josie had to suppress the urge to laugh.

"Happy Birthday to you," the servers finished.

"Come on, honey," said the waitress. "Make a wish."

Josie tilted her head at Elijah, silently telling him to just blow out the candle.

Elijah sighed and blew. Everyone cheered and soon the servers had dispersed.

"So what did you wish for?" asked Josie, still trying to contain her laughter.

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "Isn't there a superstition that if I share my wish, it will not come true?"

"Maybe," smirked Josie. "Are you saying you believe in the power of birthday wishes?"

"Of course not," he said with a slight smile. "But one does not live for over a thousand years without being somewhat cautious."

Josie laughed. "Fair enough."

Soon the waitress came over with their food and Josie and Elijah talked and ate, lingering over their coffee. They were just discussing another one of Elijah's favorite authors when they were interrupted by Josie's phone ringing. Several times.

"It's Klaus," said Josie, frowning.

Klaus knew she was having brunch with Elijah.

"It may be important," said Elijah.

"Hey," said Josie, answering the phone.

"Hello, love. Enjoying brunch?"

"Yeah. What's up?"

"I'm looking for your sister," Klaus said.

"I thought she had her own two shadows looking after her."

Klaus growled. "My hybrids had their necks snapped and she vanished. I'm waiting for them to wake up."

Josie gasped. "Oh my god. You don't think… Finn? I'll call Bonnie. Maybe she can do a locator spell before Esther has a chance to cloak her."

Josie hung up without another word.

Elijah's face was the picture of worry.

Josie quickly pulled up Bonnie's number, but before she could press send, and there was an incoming call from Elena.

"Hello?" answered Josie.

"Hey, Jo," said Elena.

"Elena!" exclaimed Josie. "What happened? Klaus said you disappeared."

"I'm fine," said Elena. "I'm at the Boarding House. Damon and Stefan got into a fight with the hybrids following me."

Josie sighed. "I'm glad you're okay. Klaus is going to kill them. I'm coming over."

"I don't need bodyguards, Jo," said Elena.

"It's just until Esther and Finn are found. She will take you for your blood, Elena. I've seen it."

Josie remembered how Esther had forced Elena to give her blood to make Alaric an Original Vampire.

"Klaus didn't even explain," continued Elena. "The hybrids just showed up and wouldn't stop following me."

Josie sighed. "I'm sorry, Elena. He's not very considerate or tactful sometimes. I should have explained this morning. That's my fault."

"It's not your fault Klaus is an overbearing control freak," came Stefan's voice from the phone.

Josie tilted her head. Stefan wasn't wrong. But it couldn't hurt to be cautious in this case.

"Would you rather Esther abduct Elena and use her blood to end the vampire species?" countered Josie.

"We can protect her," said Stefan. "We're stronger than the hybrids. Older."

Josie rolled her eyes. "You don't have to convince me. I'm on my way."

She hung up.

"Sorry, Elijah," she said. "I should go before Klaus kills the Salvatore Brothers."

Elijah frowned. "I cannot say I blame him if he does. His list of grievances with them is long."

Josie sighed. "I know. First they dagger him, then steal your family. Then, they kill two of his hybrids and raise your homicidal mother in the hopes of killing him. Not that Klaus is innocent or anything, but still…"

"They are your friends," said Elijah, nodding. "I understand."

"I have to at least try and keep this from imploding," said Josie, getting up from the table.

She said good-bye to Elijah and left the café quickly. She arrived at the Boarding House ten minutes later. She was sure either the hybrids who were protecting her or Elijah had already tipped Klaus off as to where Elena was.

She went into the house, not bothering to knock. She found Damon, Stefan and Elena in the living room.

"Come right in, Josie," said Damon, sarcastically. "No need to knock."

Josie rolled her eyes. "When was the last time you knocked at our house?"

"She has a point, Damon," said Stefan.

"Whose side are you on?" asked Damon.

"I thought we were done with all this 'side' crap," snapped Josie.

"Stop it!" yelled Elena. "Just stop it, all of you!"

There was a loud slam and Klaus appeared with his hand around Damon's throat.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip your heart out right now," growled Klaus.

"Elena was never in any danger," said Josie quickly. "We didn't explain why the hybrids were needed."

"You can't just force me into protective custody," said Elena, crossing her arms.

"I'll do what is necessary to protect my doppelganger," said Klaus.

"We can protect her," said Stefan. "Damon and I."

"No offense, mate," said Klaus. "But I think I'll stick with my hybrids."

"Those rabid dogs couldn't protect anyone," said Damon, rolling his eyes.

Klaus growled and reached his hand up, clearly intending to rip out Damon's heart. Stefan started for Klaus, but was stopped by the two hybrids that were protecting Josie.

Josie couldn't breathe. The look on Klaus' face was terrifying. He was really going to do it. Really kill Damon. He'd clearly had enough and whatever plot armor had been protecting Damon, and possibly Stefan, clearly held no more sway.

"Klaus, please!" said Josie, running over to him and Damon.

"You would ask me to spare them?" growled Klaus. "After they daggered me? Woke Esther? Killed Mindy?"

"I…" Josie bit her lip, the pain of losing Mindy suddenly fresh again.

Klaus looked smug at her hesitation. "I'm going to enjoy this."

"No!" exclaimed Elena, her eyes pleading with Josie to do something.

Elena was right. She couldn't just stand there and watch him kill Damon. She had to try.

"She's right. Please, Klaus," Josie asked. "Don't kill them. They're my friends. You have the dagger and your family. Esther will be found soon. They're no threat."

Klaus didn't look at her for a moment, but kept his hand in place, hovering right above Damon's heart. It felt like time had stopped. Was he really going to do it? Really kill Damon?

Josie reached up and put a hand on Klaus' arm. Klaus looked down at her, his expression softening just a little. He turned back to Damon and growled, throwing him across the room. Stefan sped over to help Damon up.

Klaus addressed the two Salvatore brothers.

"Tell you what," he said. "I'll give you both once chance to live."

"What's that?" asked Damon, eyes narrowed.

Klaus smiled wickedly. "Seeing as how you're the ones responsible for stealing my family, raising my mother and endangering all our lives, I'm going to give you the chance to fix it."

"What?" exclaimed Josie.

Where was he going with this?

"Deliver Esther's heart to me and I shall consider granting you mercy," explained Klaus. "However, if you so much as take one breath in my town without that heart, I shall take yours in payment instead."

Damon frowned. "You've got to be kidding me."

Klaus growled and sped over to Damon, gripping his neck once again.

"This is me being very, very generous," he said in a low, dangerous voice. "I suggest you make yourselves scarce before I start feeling less charitable."

Klaus glanced at the clock on the wall, which read 11.00 a.m. "You have until noon to leave Mystic Falls. Happy packing, gents."

Klaus released Damon roughly and turned to address Elena.

"I should hope we don't need to discuss the importance of letting my hybrids protect you without interference."

Elena just looked at Klaus with a stony expression, clearly pissed he'd just exiled the Salvatores. Josie personally thought they should all be glad they were even alive, but kept her thoughts to herself.

"Don't look so glum, sweetheart," Klaus told Elena. "They're still alive. You can thank your sister for that."

Then he disappeared.

"Guys, I'm sorry…" Josie began.

"Don't. Just don't," said Elena, shaking her head.

"I think you should leave," said Stefan in an even tone.

Damon looked murderous.

Josie nodded. "Yeah."

She grabbed her purse and headed out of the Boarding House.

A few hours later Josie was sitting on the couch with Jeremy and Anna, playing Xbox, when Elena came home. She barely glanced in the living room before heading straight up to her room.

"Think she's okay?" asked Anna, glancing nervously up the stairs.

"She'll be fine," said Jeremy. "If you ask me, she could use some Salvatore-free time."

"I'm going to go talk to her," said Josie.

She got off the couch and went to Elena's room, knocking softly.

"Elena, it's me."

Silence.

She knocked again.

She heard a loud sigh, then Elena opened the door.

"What do you want, Jo?"

Josie frowned. "I'm sorry for what happened. Are you okay?"

It was a stupid question, but she didn't know what else to say. Elena's eyes were red-rimmed. It was obvious she'd been crying.

"Stefan and Damon are gone."

"I know. At least they're still alive," offered Josie. "Maybe once Esther is dead, Klaus won't be so angry and they can come back."

"Maybe," said Elena. "How can you…? With him? He…"

Elena burst into tears.

"Oh, Elena," said Josie, stepping into her room and giving her a hug.

She was glad when Elena didn't push her away.

"It'll be okay," said Josie. "I'll do what I can to convince Klaus. You'll see them again."

Elena nodded sadly. Josie led Elena over to her bed and they sat down together.

"I know," said Elena. "It's just… it's going to be weird not seeing them everyday. I'll always love Stefan and Damon… they're vampires, I just thought they'd always be around, you know?"

Josie nodded. "I know. Mystic Falls without the Salvatore brothers. Feels strange."

"Part of me is worried about Stefan," said Elena.

"Stefan?" repeated Josie, confused.

Elena sighed. "I caught Damon trying to get him to feed on a human the other day. He thinks Stefan needs to learn to catch and release."

"Hasn't he been on animal blood ever since Elijah flipped his switch back?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah, but who knows how long that'll last if he's spending 24/7 with Damon?"

"Stefan is strong," said Josie. "Have you heard from Lexi lately? Is her switch back on?"

"I left her a few messages when Stefan got his switch flipped, but didn't hear back."

"Probably not a bad idea to let her know what happened today."

Elena nodded.

"I know this is hard," said Josie, rubbing Elena's back. "If you need anything, let me know. I'm sorry. I wish things were different."

"You tried, Jo," said Elena. "Klaus was going to kill Damon. Maybe Stefan too."

Josie bit her lip. "So you don't hate me?"

"Of course not," said Elena. "I can't stand your boyfriend, but I can't pretend Damon and Stefan were innocent either. Elijah called me earlier to tell me he'd make sure Klaus didn't change his mind and go after Damon and Stefan."

Josie smiled. "That's Elijah."

They sat there in comforting silence for a while.

"I'm headed to the Grill with Bonnie and Care," said Elena after a while. "You want to come?"

Josie shook her head. "I still have a lot of make-up work from the first few weeks of school. I can't put it off anymore."

Elena nodded and Josie hugged her one last time before wishing her goodnight.

Josie was lying on her bed, doing her homework, when she felt a slight breeze and Klaus appeared in her room.

"Do you think you'll ever use the front door?" she teased.

"Why would I do that?" he asked. "What I want is right here."

He leaned down and started kissing her as she sat on her bed. He started to back her down, throwing her school materials to the side.

"Hey, I need that," she said, tearing her mouth away from him. "That's my essay on Pride and Prejudice for Ms. Flemming."

Klaus just continued kissing her neck, running his hands over her.

"I'll compel her," he said, breaking away to remove her shirt and his own.

"You're such a bad influence," she said, biting her lip to suppress her moan as he started kissing her chest.

"The worst," he whispered as his hands travelled southward.

He quickly removed the rest of her clothes and she had no more objections after that.

The next week went by slowly. Klaus was gone a lot, so Josie only saw him a few times. Elijah and Kol too. Kol, with his witch connections, was trying to find news of his mother, while Elijah was tracking Sage. When he finally found her, she readily agreed to help and together they searched for Finn, albeit without much luck.

Klaus had decided to make Mason Lockwood his Beta, so on Wednesday night, Josie and Rebekah threw an impromptu celebration at the Mikaelson house. Josie talked to James, one of the hybrids who knew a lot about werewolf customs, and convinced Klaus to do a formal werewolf ceremony to officially make Mason his Beta. The hybrids loved it and, according to Klaus, drank and danced until sunrise the next morning.

Elena was visibly sad with the loss of the Salvatores, but Jeremy, Josie and Elena's friends did their best to cheer her up. At times, it seemed to be working. Elena even said it was nice how normal it all felt.

Finally, Friday arrived. Josie was happy, not just because it was Friday, but because tonight was their official date, complete with a beautiful red silk dress that Josie's friends had picked out the day before. She was just finishing her make-up when Klaus appeared in her room.

Josie smile turned to a frown when she saw he was in his usual clothes.

"You're dressed pretty casually," she said, raising her eyebrows.

Klaus looked uncomfortable. "I just received word that Esther may be in Minneapolis."

"That's good," said Josie, smiling. Then she understood. "You're leaving again?"

"I am sorry," said Klaus, bending down to give her a kiss.

"If there's even the slightest chance Esther's there," said Josie, sighing. "I understand."

"I'll make it up to you," he said, running his hands down her arms. "I promise."

Josie bit her lip. "Yeah? How?"

He reached down and picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Instead of an evening… Would you consider a weekend away?"

Josie smiled. "Really?"

"Where would you like to go, my love?" he asked, kissing her jaw. "Back to New York? Or perhaps someplace further afield? Paris? London?"

"They all sound great," she murmured, distracted by his kisses. "How long until you leave?"

"Twenty minutes," he said.

"Hmm… can you be quick?"

He growled and sped them to her bed.

Josie spent the weekend with her friends and family. Jenna and Alaric were gone on their romantic getaway weekend, so Elena, Jeremy and Josie all invited their friends over Saturday night and had some normal, teenage fun.

Klaus was gone until Wednesday night. He came to Josie's room where she welcomed him back to Mystic Falls. While Esther had definitely been in Minneapolis, she had left before Klaus and his hybrids even got there. They tried to track her through several states before the trail went cold.

Josie had been trying to help as she had gotten a few visions of Finn, but he never stayed in the same place for more than a day or two. She only saw Esther once and then it wasn't clear where she was, just that she was looking for someone, probably a witch.

It was Thursday morning and Josie was on her way to Math class when she ran into Rebekah.

"Hey," said Josie. "How's it going?"

She didn't want to be nosey, but Klaus had told her last night that Rebekah and Mason had broken up. Rebekah was annoyed with how much Klaus interfered in their relationship (and how much Mason let him). She told Mason she thought Klaus had made Mason the Beta just to spite her. Mason, of course, didn't take that opinion well and they'd broken up.

"I've been better," said Rebekah without a smile. "I assume you heard?"

Josie nodded, frowning. "I'm sorry. It's a good weekend to be single though!"

"It is?"

Josie smiled. "It's Halloween! Where you can dress up like a slutty whatever and make your ex-boyfriend jealous as hell and find a new one."

Rebekah smiled back. "All Hallows Eve has certainly changed."

"So… you know what you're going to be for Halloween?"

Rebekah shrugged. "I don't know. The school party sounds a bit lame. No drinking."

"It is," Josie admitted. "The haunted house is okay though. More funny than scary, but…"

"A funny haunted house?" asked Rebekah, eyebrow raised. "I think we can do better than that."

Josie tilted her head. "We?"

"That's right," said Rebekah, linking her arm with Josie's. "We're going to throw the best Halloween party this town has ever seen. And when Mason Lockwood sees me in my costume, he's going to tear his own heart out."

 **A/N: As far as I know, none of the Original Family have confirmed birthdays, so I just made up when Elijah's was (mid-October). I thought birthdays could be fun as the backdrop for some chapters. Holidays too ;-)**

 **Also, one of the things that irritated me was how they portrayed Klaus as this really vengeful guy, except when it came to the Scooby Gang. Like they killed Finn and Kol, and the Originals did… nothing? So yeah, Josie technically managed to save them, but now they've been exiled from Mystic Falls.**


	55. Halloween

"You have to come," Josie was saying to Elena as they walked out of school on Friday afternoon. "You too, Jer."

"You don't have to convince me," said Jeremy, smiling. "Party at the Mikaelsons' house with open bar? I'm there."

He spotted Anna in the parking lot.

"I'll see you guys later," he said.

"Don't forget you have to wear a costume!" exclaimed Josie.

"Anna and I are going shopping tomorrow before the party," said Jeremy as he walked away.

"See?" said Josie, turning to Elena. "Jeremy's in the Halloween spirit."

"It's bad enough that Klaus' hybrids follow me everywhere, I don't want to go to a party full of them at his house," said Elena, eyeing the four hybrids that were following Josie and Elena currently.

Josie sighed. She couldn't wait until Esther was gone, so they didn't have to bother with these bodyguards anymore. She didn't mind the hybrids as much as the complete strangers she'd had over the summer. At least she knew the hybrids.

"It'll be fun," said Josie, ignoring Elena's comment. "Don't you think you could use some fun?"

Elena sighed. "Maybe I'll make an appearance."

Josie smiled and gave her a hug.

"It's going to be great, Elena! Rebekah and I designed this whole haunted maze in the backyard and she had the caterers do a bunch of Halloween-themed food. Tasteful, not hokey of course."

"Is there anything Halloween-themed that's tasteful?" chimed in Bonnie, who'd just joined Josie and Elena.

Josie laughed. "Maybe not, but Rebekah said they'd try. You're coming too, right?" she asked Bonnie.

Elena linked her arm with Bonnie's. "If I'm going, you're going too, Bon."

"Do I have to wear a costume?" asked Bonnie, eyebrow raised.

"It's a Halloween party," answered Josie. "Of course you do!"

"Josie!" called a voice up ahead.

It was her friend, Bridget.

"I have to go," said Josie. "Bridge, Tracy, Colin and I are going to Richmond tonight for dinner and costume shopping. Rebekah's coming too."

"See you later, Jo," said Elena as Josie walked away.

Josie ran over to Bridget's car and hopped in with the rest of her friends.

They arrived at the giant costume store on the outskirts of Richmond an hour later.

"Isn't that a little cliché?" asked Rebekah.

Josie was holding up a vampire costume. The rest of her friends were in the accessories section, having already picked out their costumes. Rebekah was having a hard time deciding what to wear for her first modern Halloween.

"You could wear it ironically," laughed Josie. "I am."

She'd picked out a colorful fortune teller costume, though she was pretty sure real fortune tellers didn't have corsets so tight or skirts so short, but it was Halloween after all.

"I need something elegant and sexy," said Rebekah, going through the racks of clothes.

"You mean something that will drive Mason crazy?" smiled Josie.

"This isn't about him," frowned Rebekah.

Josie rolled her eyes. Yeah, right.

"How about this?" asked Josie.

"Sleeping Beauty?"

"It's accurate. Plus, what girl doesn't want to be a princess when they grow up?"

Rebekah shrugged. "I wanted to fight and be strong like my brothers. A warrior."

"Well, that's an idea."

"A warrior isn't sexy," said Rebekah, shaking her head.

Josie laughed. "They can make anything sexy."

She dragged Rebekah over to the historical costumes where they found a Viking warrior costume, complete with cape, sword and shield. The skirt was short enough to be sexy, but it was the tight leather bodice that really completed the look.

"You look amazing, Rebekah," said Josie, as Rebekah turned to look at herself in the mirror. "Every guy at the party will want to dance with you."

"And I shall dance with all of them," smiled Rebekah, clearly pleased with the costume.

"Let's hope Klaus is looking the other way then," said Josie, shaking her head.

Rebekah smirked. "He'll be looking in whatever direction you're standing, I'm sure."

Josie laughed. "Come on. Let's find the others. I'm starving."

Josie got to the Mikaelsons' the next day at noon to help Rebekah set up for the party. It was just past five and they were reviewing the haunted maze when Josie got a call from Caroline.

"Hello?" answered Josie.

It was odd for Caroline to be calling her.

"Hey, Josie."

"Caroline, what's up?"

"Did you know he was going to do it?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Josie, confused.

Caroline let out an annoyed sigh.

"Tyler is a hybrid. Klaus turned him this morning."

"What?" exclaimed Josie. "Why?"

"Because Tyler is an idiot who asked him to!"

Josie couldn't believe it. She'd thought since she hadn't heard anything more about it these past few weeks, Tyler had decided against it. Apparently, not. She was a little hurt Klaus hadn't even told her he was going to do it.

"I'm sorry, Caroline. I didn't know. I tried to talk Tyler out of it."

"I know," sighed Caroline. "Crap, I have to go. My hybrid boyfriend just had a blood bag explode in his face."

Then she hung up.

"Excuse me, Rebekah," said Josie, heading toward the house.

She walked in and found Klaus in his office.

"When were you going to tell me you turned Tyler Lockwood?" asked Josie, coming into the room.

Klaus raised his eyebrows. "I wasn't aware you needed a heads-up on what I do with my hybrids."

"Tyler is a friend of mine," said Josie.

"If I recall, he's an ex-boyfriend, not a friend," said Klaus in a slightly heated tone.

"A person can be both," she argued. "Why would you turn him?"

"Tyler came to me. Who am I to deny him the benefits of being a hybrid?"

"Right," said Josie, sarcastically. "The great and merciful Klaus."

"You of all people should know I am capable of benevolence," he returned.

Josie scoffed. "You know what, it doesn't matter why you did it. The point is, you should have told me. Turning him was a colossal mistake. He won't make a good hybrid."

Josie remembered how, even though Tyler had been excited to be a hybrid at first, he had ended up hating Klaus and had been the impetus of getting all the hybrids unsired. He had made it his life's mission to kill Klaus, which resulted in him leaving Mystic Falls, threatening Hayley when she was pregnant, and worst of all, Klaus killing Carol Lockwood.

She didn't know if any of it would have happened if Klaus hadn't ordered Tyler to bite Caroline, but there was no way of knowing.

Klaus growled angrily at her blunt, negative words.

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear, love," he said heatedly. "I may appreciate your advice at times, just as I always appreciate the spot you warm in my bed. However, don't think for a second that either gives you permission to dictate how I run my affairs."

Josie scoffed, his anger fueling her own. "Of course you of all people think I'm trying to control you. You know best? Fine, do whatever the hell you want with your hybrids. See if I care."

Then she turned and stormed out of his office.

He was such a stubborn, prideful jerk. What would his pack have been without her influence? A bunch of hybrids who hated Klaus and had chosen the pain of turning over and over just to get away from him. She knew it wasn't completely all her doing, but his dismissive words hurt a lot. Clearly he didn't value her advice as much as she thought he did.

She took a deep breath when she reached the front door, trying to control her anger. She felt the telltale signs of tears starting to come and she blinked rapidly, willing them away.

"Josie?" called Rebekah, coming into the main foyer.

"Rebekah," she said, trying for a smile. "Look something's come up. Tonight…"

"You're coming to the party you helped organize and will have a bloody good time," finished Rebekah. "I don't care what my idiot brother did."

"You heard that?" asked Josie.

"No," said Rebekah, shaking her head. "But you're coming out of Nik's office looking as if you want to strangle someone. I can guess."

Josie clenched her jaw. "He's just so… ugh."

Rebekah smiled. "That's Nik… We're nearly finished setting up. Go home, get ready and come back. I promise you'll have a good time. Or you'll be so drunk you won't notice you're not."

Josie chuckled. She'd had a good time planning the party with Rebekah and would hate to miss out.

"Alright. But only because I want to see Mason's face when he sees you in your costume."

Rebekah rolled her eyes and shooed Josie out the door. Josie drove home and had dinner with Jeremy, Elena, Jenna and Alaric. Jenna and Alaric were not happy about the Halloween party that night, but didn't outright forbid the three siblings from going.

A few hours later, Josie headed over to the Mikaelsons' house with Elena and Jeremy. Josie had taken extra care with her hair and makeup that night, wanting to make sure that if she saw Klaus, she was looking her best. He hadn't texted or called at all since they'd fought in his office. Of course she hadn't either.

She felt bad about what she'd said, how she lost her temper. She probably shouldn't have told him so bluntly what a big mistake he'd made. She'd just been hurt he hadn't even told her he was going to turn Tyler. It wasn't some strange werewolf, it was Tyler. The fact that it hadn't even occurred to Klaus that was something she'd like to know hurt her more than she liked to admit.

When she stepped into the house, she couldn't help but smile. The place looked great. Josie had helped with a lot of the logistics, but Rebekah really had an eye for decorations.

Josie, Jeremy and Elena headed for the bar. After grabbing their drinks, Jeremy went in search of Anna, while Elena left to find Bonnie. Josie was about to find her own friends when she spotted Bridget coming up to her.

"You look hot!" exclaimed Bridget.

"You too," smiled Josie, looking at Bridget's devil costume.

"Colin told me these Black Magic shots aren't bad," said Bridget, handing Josie a glass.

Josie smiled. "Cheers!"

Then she and Bridget downed the shots together. It tasted like a grape-flavored vodka jello shot.

"Not bad," agreed Josie.

Bridget giggled and handed her another one. Bridget insisted they do one more round before they headed to the dance floor. Soon, Colin and Tracy joined them with another round and Josie was having fun, dancing with her friends. She tried not to look for Klaus, but found herself glancing around the room, even though she didn't see him.

She went to go get another round and ran into Rebekah, who looked absolutely gorgeous in her costume. Josie was with her when Mason walked in. The look on his face wasn't disappointing. He looked like he wanted to ravish Rebekah in the middle of the party.

Josie giggled and grabbed Rebekah's arm.

"Did you see the look on his face?" asked Josie, still laughing.

Everything seemed funny after four jello shots in an hour.

"You're totally winning the break-up!" Josie exclaimed.

Rebekah smiled sadly. "We're still broken up."

Josie rolled her eyes. "That's sober talk. Come on."

She dragged Rebekah to the bar where Josie had another shot and Rebekah had several. Then Rebekah charmed one of the waiters to follow her to the dance floor with another round for Josie's friends. They were all dancing and having a great time.

Josie looked up and saw Rebekah's face fall. When Josie followed Rebekah's gaze, she saw Mason dancing with one of the other hybrids, Jessica.

Josie's eyes narrowed. "He's just trying to make you jealous. You're so much prettier than she is."

At that moment, Elena walked up with Matt Donovan. Josie smiled, remembering how Rebekah and Matt had a thing. Hello, jealousy, Mason. Matt was cute in a boy-next-door kind of way.

"Can I talk to you about something?" Josie asked Elena. "Matt, can you keep Rebekah company for a minute?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes, but started dancing with Matt while Elena and Josie left the dance floor.

"What's up, Jo?" asked Elena, smiling.

Clearly Elena'd had a number of drinks as well.

"Oh, uh…" Josie tried to think of something. "Are you having a good time?"

"Yeah…" said Elena, laughing. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Have you heard from Damon or Stefan?"

Elena nodded. "Stefan says they're in Texas, looking for an old witch friend of his."

"Witch friend?"

"She owes him a favor apparently."

"And Damon's with him?"

At that, Elena rolled her eyes. "Yes."

Josie tilted her head. "What?"

Elena sighed dramatically. "It's just Damon. He's just… I guess I never noticed how hot and cold he can be."

Josie shrugged. "That's Damon. Nice one second, mean the next. I definitely don't miss the mood swings, even if Mystic Falls has been eerily calm these past two weeks."

"Yeah, I thought I would miss them more."

Elena looked shocked that she'd said that and clasped a hand over her mouth. Yep, Elena had definitely had a lot to drink.

"I didn't mean, uh…" she dissolved into nervous laughter.

"No worries, Elena," giggled Josie. "I won't tell anyone."

"Elena!" came a shout from the left. "There you are," said Caroline. "We're about to go through the haunted maze."

"You coming, Jo?" asked Elena as Caroline led her away.

Josie shook her head. "I'm going to find a bathroom."

Unfortunately, there was a line for all the bathrooms on the first floor. She eyed the staircase, knowing there was a perfectly nice bathroom attached to Klaus' room.

She really had to pee. Well, screw him, her drunken mind thought. After everything she'd done for him, the least he owed her was a bathroom visit.

She went up the stairs, holding onto the railing to make sure she didn't take an ungraceful dive down, thinking maybe her last shot had been a mistake.

When she reached Klaus' room she was just about to open the door when she heard a female voice from inside, followed by Klaus'.

She blinked, shocked. She listened, trying to figure out who it was when she heard footsteps approaching from around the corner. She reacted without thought, opening the door opposite Klaus', throwing herself in and shutting the door behind her.

Looking around, she was in another bedroom. She wondered whose it was when the door opened and Kol came in.

"Kol," she said, backing up a few paces instinctually. That damn electricity was still there. "I thought you were still out of town."

"I've just returned," he said after he'd recovered from his own surprise at her presence. "If you wanted a tour of my bedroom, you needn't sneak in, darling. All you had to do was ask."

Josie laughed nervously. With all the alcohol she'd had, the electricity was a lot harder to ignore.

"I was looking for a bathroom," she said. "The ones downstairs are occupied."

"Nik's room is across the hall," said Kol, looking her up and down. "But you knew that. Bekah told me you two had a fight. Trouble in paradise, love?"

Josie crossed her arms. "Can I use your bathroom or not?"

Kol chuckled and gestured to a nearby door. "Help yourself."

Josie practically ran to the bathroom. A few minutes later she emerged to find Kol dressed in a priest costume. Josie rolled her eyes.

"You're not fooling anyone," she smirked as he looked at himself in the mirror.

"Oh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She blinked and he was suddenly hovering over her.

"All the same, I'd love to hear your confession," he said, smirking. "All the dirty thoughts you've had about me."

"What are you doing?" asked Josie, taking several steps back. "You know whatever's between us isn't natural. It's just a spell."

"Is it?" asked Kol, coming closer. "How do you know what you're feeling isn't real? Magic is just an extension of nature itself. It can bend, change, manipulate, but it can't create something from nothing."

Josie narrowed her eyes. Sounded like a lot of mumbo-jumbo.

"What does that even mean?" she asked.

"Are you attracted to me?" asked Kol, looking into her eyes.

That was a really unfair question. Kol was hot, how could any girl not be attracted to him? Every instinct she had was pulling her toward him. She really should not have had all those shots.

"I told you before, it's just a spell," said Josie finally.

Though she wasn't so sure anymore.

"You didn't answer the question," growled Kol.

Josie just looked at him in silence for several seconds. A thousands thoughts swirled in her head. Was this connection something other than magic? Was it something real? And if it was, should she explore it?

Klaus had some girl in his room. Would Klaus even care if she was here? He hadn't even bothered to look for her at the party. Hadn't bothered to call or text.

Still, her heart ached when she thought of Klaus. Even with her inhibitions lowered from the alcohol, her connection to Kol paled in comparison to her feelings for Klaus.

Josie bit her lip. "I think I should leave."

"Wait, don't go," said Kol, grabbing her arm as she tried to pass him to leave.

Josie gasped. Kol had never touched her before. It was like a jolt of electricity running up her arm from the place where he'd touched her. It set her senses on fire. From the shocked look on Kol's face he felt it too.

"What the hell?" she asked, trying to rip her arm away from him. "Let me go."

Kol eyes darkened. She saw his fangs extend and veins appear under his eyes.

"I can't," he said, pulling her toward him.

"Stop it!" exclaimed Josie, trying to push him away.

He just growled, tilted her head to the side and sank his fangs into her neck.

Her scream was muffled by his hand, but she kept trying to push him even as he held her firm. He let her go after several seconds and he caught her as she swayed.

She felt woozy as he scooped her up in his arms.

"Don't worry," he said, looking into her face tenderly. "I'll take care of you, darling. You and I are going to be together forever. Rest now."

She felt a breeze on her face and she knew they were traveling at vampire speed before she lost consciousness.

When Josie awoke, she was in a strange hotel room. She sat up and winced, feeling the still bleeding wounds on her neck. She remembered Kol had touched her and then bitten her and then…

She heard noises from the bathroom and got off the bed as quietly as she could. She'd nearly made it to the door when the bathroom door opened and she spun around.

"Kol!" she exclaimed. "Please…"

"It's alright," Kol cut in, speeding over to her. "I won't hurt you. I would never hurt you. I love you, Josie."

"I… What?" frowned Josie, thinking maybe she heard him wrong.

The connection she felt with him was the same as always, but clearly something had changed for him.

"I love you," he repeated. "You're my soulmate. Don't you see? That connection we've been feeling. It's because we're soulmates."

"Soulmates?" she said in disbelief.

"Yes, darling," he smiled, reaching up to touch her cheek.

"Don't," said Josie, ducking out of the way of his hand. "We have to go back."

"Why?" asked Kol. "All we need is each other."

Josie frowned. What the hell was going on?

"This isn't you, Kol. You don't love me and we are not soulmates. Something is making you say these things."

Kol's expression went from tender to furious in a matter of seconds.

"This is because of him, isn't it?" he shouted. "That's why you want to go back. To be with him!"

Josie's eyes widened at his anger. For the first time since she'd met him, she was scared of Kol. Who knows what he would do under the influence of some spell?

"This isn't about Klaus," she said, trying to keep her voice from trembling.

"It's always been him," Kol growled. "You keep denying what's between us because of him. I know magic. This isn't magic. I love you."

Josie wasn't sure what to say. She decided to try for logic and took a step back.

"How can you love me? You don't even know me."

Kol just stepped forward. "We're soulmates. Of course I love you. Don't you love me?"

Okay, logic wasn't going to work. Should she play along? Would he be able to tell she was lying?

Apparently, her hesitation lasted too long because he grabbed her arm. She winced at his rough grip and struggled uselessly against him.

"You bitch," he yelled, shaking her. "You never loved me. Too eager to spread your legs for that bastard. You will be mine. I'll make sure of that."

He growled and threw her on the bed.

At that moment, the door to the hotel room burst open to reveal Klaus and Elijah.

Klaus sped to Kol, picking him up and tossing him across the room.

"Have you lost your mind?" Klaus growled. "I told you to stay away from her."

Kol sprang to his feet. "You can't keep her from me. I love her."

"You… what?" Klaus said, anger momentarily forgotten in his surprise.

"Josie is mine," said Kol, taking advantage of Klaus' surprise to speed over to Josie.

Thankfully, Elijah intervened and grabbed Kol before he reached her. Klaus sped over and helped Elijah restrain Kol.

Josie staggered to her feet.

"What happened between you two?" asked Elijah, eyeing the wound on Josie's neck with concern.

Josie eyes widened. "Nothing. I mean, he bit me and then just went crazy. Where are we?"

"A room at a local inn," answered Elijah. "As you were taken against your will, your necklace prevented him from taking you beyond the city limits. Ms. Bennett was able to locate you easily."

"Right. Thanks," she said with a slight smile aimed at Klaus.

Klaus tilted his head in acknowledgement, though he had barely looked at her since he'd arrived.

"What are we going to do?" asked Josie. "Something's wrong with him."

"There's nothing wrong with me," growled Kol, trying to get away from Elijah and Klaus. "I just… I need Josie."

"You expect us to believe nothing happened between you two?" asked Klaus angrily. "We found your blood in Kol's room. Pray tell, what were you doing in there?"

"I was trying to find a bathroom," said Josie, defensively. "The ones downstairs were too crowded. And you had company in your room, so…"

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "How dare you accuse me…"

"Enough!" commanded Elijah. "What else happened? We require honesty, Josie."

Josie crossed her arms. "I am being honest. I used his bathroom and then he was being a jerk like always, so I went to leave and he grabbed my arm and then there was that stupid electricity again. But he wouldn't let me go and he bit me and then I passed out. When I woke up, I was here and he was going on about how we're in love and we're soulmates…"

"Soulmates?" interrupted Klaus with a frown. "He said you're soulmates?"

"We are soulmates," said Kol, still struggling against Klaus and Elijah. "I love…"

Elijah clamped a hand over Kol's mouth, unable to snap his neck due to the sibling link.

"Oh, dear," said Elijah, shaking his head.

"What?" asked Josie.

Oh god, this wasn't really a thing was it? Kol couldn't be her soulmate. That was crazy.

"It has been centuries, Niklaus," said Elijah. "You don't think it could be possible…"

"It would explain his behavior," said Klaus.

Elijah shook his head. "But not hers."

"Perhaps it's different with a vampire," offered Klaus.

"If he drank her blood…" said Elijah.

"Okay, will someone explain to me what's going on?" asked Josie.

"I believe we've seen this before," said Klaus, turning to her. "My siblings and I were in Italy, not 100 years after we'd been made vampires when we came across a local Duke and his lovely young bride. Now this Duke was getting on in years and his young wife-to-be seemed quite repulsed by him, while he was disinterested in her.

'And yet, when we saw them the next day, after their wedding night, they seemed to be quite smitten with each other. Going on about their love and how they were soulmates.

'We stayed in their castle for a fortnight, but were forced to leave when the Duke's behavior became erratic, violent. He accused Elijah of having an affair with his young wife, obviously false, and proceeded to try and kill Elijah. Repeatedly. Even compulsion couldn't seem to control his behavior.

'We all thought it an odd affair until we learned that the local healer had blessed the couple with an everlasting bond the night of their wedding."

"Bond?" asked Josie.

Klaus nodded. "No doubt this healer had good intentions, but she failed to read the fine print on the spell. It was the Soulmate Curse."

"Curse?" repeated Josie. "Being a soulmate is a curse?"

Elijah smiled bitterly. "Nature will always fight back. Something as pure as love cannot be twisted or faked. So love becomes obsession. Passion becomes violence."

"You think Kol and I have been cursed?"

"The symptoms fit," said Klaus.

"But why don't I feel that way?" asked Josie.

Klaus looked at the wound on her neck.

"If I remember correctly, the soulmate bond is sealed on the wedding night," he said.

Josie's eyes narrowed. "I told you before nothing happened between us."

"He drank your blood, love. I would guess that was enough for his part."

"Oh," said Josie, biting her lip. "How do we reverse it?"

"We'll need a witch," Klaus answered. "And a Grimoire with the spell."

"Let me guess, you have one?" asked Josie.

Klaus smirked. "I'm a collector."

In the end, reversing the curse was pretty anti-climactic. Klaus, Josie, Elijah and Kol went back to the Mikaelson house. Bonnie said some things in Latin, sprinkled a few herbs and that weird electricity feeling Josie felt around Kol vanished.

Kol didn't say anything once the spell was reversed, just immediately disappeared from the house. It was probably harder on him than it was on Josie, she hadn't felt any feelings of love or obsession, just that odd electricity feeling.

"How are you feeling?" asked Jeremy, as they cleaned up the spell's aftermath.

Bonnie, Josie, Jeremy and Elena were in the sitting room they'd used to reverse the curse.

"Fine," said Josie. "Thank you, Bonnie."

Bonnie smiled. "No problem. I can't believe someone would use that spell, especially on a vampire with their heightened emotions."

"Well Esther wanted a distraction," said Josie, shaking her head.

"This family is crazy," said Jeremy, rolling his eyes.

Josie nodded. He wasn't wrong.

"I'm tired," said Elena when they were finished. "You guys ready to go?"

"I could use a ride," said Bonnie.

"I'm staying," said Jeremy. "It's only 12.30."

"What about you, Jo?" asked Elena.

Josie looked at Klaus, who was having a conversation with Elijah in the next room. Klaus paused and looked at her.

"Uh…" Josie said, unsure what to do.

She wanted to talk to Klaus, to apologize, but wasn't sure what he wanted. He'd had a girl in his room tonight after all and she wasn't sure he believed her when she said nothing had happened with Kol.

Her phone beeped and she quickly pulled it out. It was a message from Klaus.

'Stay. We should talk,' it said, somewhat ominously.

If it was bad news, she'd rather just get it over with.

"I think I'll stick around for a while," said Josie. "I'll see you guys later."


	56. Every Heartbeat

**A/N: A few people have mentioned Diana, the dark-haired lady from Josie's dreams who she met in Italy and Chicago and who seems to be involved somehow in Josie coming to the world of TVD. Diana will return. I didn't mean to go so long between her appearances, but the first half of season three got away from me a bit…**

Bonnie, Elena, Jeremy and Josie left the sitting room and returned to the main part of the house where the party was still in full swing. Bonnie and Elena left, while Jeremy went to find Anna. Josie smiled when she saw Rebekah and Mason kissing on the dance floor.

Josie went to find a bathroom. Klaus had healed her wounds earlier, but she still had dried blood on her neck from Kol's bite.

The downstairs' bathrooms were still busy, so she went upstairs and found a vacant guest room with an en-suite and started to wash up. She'd only been there a minute when there was a knock on the door.

She opened it and Klaus was standing on the other side.

"Hey," she said, awkwardly.

"May I come in?" he asked, politely.

Josie shrugged. "It's your house."

She moved aside so he could come in.

"How did you know where I was?" she asked, returning to the bathroom to continue cleaning up.

"I can recognize your heartbeat," he said, following her in. "And I know your scent. It's how I knew you were in Kol's room and you had bled there."

Josie didn't know if that was sweet or gross. Possibly both.

"Right," was all she said, continuing to wipe her costume down where the blood had dripped. "So you wanted to talk?"

He looked at her in the mirror. "Yes."

"What about?" she asked, still wiping.

Klaus sighed. "Would you like a change of clothes?"

"No," said Josie, sharply. "I want you to say whatever you were going to say."

She remembered his ominous text message. 'We should talk.' If he was going to end it, she just wanted him to spit it out, so she could go home, have a good cry and eat some ice cream with Elena and Jenna.

He growled at her sharp tone and sped forward to where she stood at the sink, placing both hands on the counter on opposite sides of her body, effectively trapping her there. Her back was still to him, they were looking at each other in the mirror.

"Tell me, did you enjoy having my brother pant after you like a dog in heat?" he asked angrily.

"Screw you Klaus!" she yelled, elbowing his stomach in an attempt to get him to move, which he didn't. "If all you wanted was to accuse me of messing around with your brother, I don't want to hear it."

"Oh, but I should listen to your wild accusations of my supposed dalliance with someone else tonight?" he argued back.

Josie scoffed. "That's still not an explanation! I already told you nothing happened with Kol. It was a fucking spell! But you? You had a girl in your room tonight and you're not denying anything, are you?"

"It was bloody Alice, alright!" he shouted. "She'd just returned with Kol and was giving me a report on some recent witch activity."

Alice was one of the hybrids. She had a girlfriend who'd just moved to Mystic Falls.

"Oh," said Josie, feeling her anger dissipate somewhat. "Why didn't you just say that?"

"I'm not in the habit of explaining myself, love. To anyone," he said, gruffly.

Josie clenched her teeth, trying to keep her anger in check. Then she realized something.

"You just did," she said, cocking her head to the side.

Klaus smiled slightly. "I suppose so."

They looked at each other in the mirror in silence for several seconds. Then Josie turned around to face Klaus.

"Look, I wanted to apologize," she said quietly. "For earlier. I shouldn't have accused you of having evil intentions with Tyler or saying I didn't care about the hybrids. You know I do. I was just hurt, I guess."

"Oh?"

"You didn't even think about giving me a heads up," said Josie, shaking her head. "I wasn't part of your thought process at all."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "Is that what you think?"

"What am I supposed to think?"

"Tyler requested I not inform anyone," said Klaus. "I was simply trying to respect his wishes. Had I known you'd storm into my office full of self-righteous fury, I would have promptly told him to piss off."

Josie looked down, not saying anything. It made sense, but it still hurt.

"I suppose…" He gritted his teeth. "I should apologize as well. I should have informed you about Tyler. And it was unfair to diminish the value I've obtained from your advice."

"Thank you," she said, looking up and smiling a bit. She knew Klaus wasn't really one to apologize. "Did you really turn him to be nice?"

Klaus tilted his head. "Tyler is the son of the mayor and he is dating the daughter of the Sheriff. I had thought securing his loyalty seemed… advantageous."

Josie sighed. "Until I told you it was a mistake."

"I believe the phrase you used was colossal mistake."

Josie bit her lip, wondering how much to tell him. Klaus hadn't initially tried to kill Tyler when he'd become unsired if she remembered correctly, only after he'd helped the other hybrids become unsired. Or maybe that's when he killed Carol Lockwood? Either way, she had to tread carefully.

"Tyler is a stubborn guy," explained Josie. "It only got worse when he triggered his curse. He's not going to like being sired to you if you ask him to do something he doesn't want to do… and he may decide to do something about it."

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting he may attempt to break the sire bond?"  
"It's possible," said Josie, noncommittally.

Klaus frowned slightly. "And you're worried he could encourage others to do the same?"

"Maybe… Pack morale seems fine, but they'd hardly let either of us know if they were unhappy. 24/7 babysitting duty for me and Elena can't be fun."

"Do you think so little of my leadership?" asked Klaus, with a slightly hurt look. "The hybrids who are protecting you are volunteers. They understand the importance of your safety and that this situation is temporary."

Josie was surprised. "Volunteers? Really?"

Klaus sighed. "I do appreciate the sire bond, but I've had armies of servants for a thousand years. Admittedly, that was what I envisioned with my hybrids at first, but I've found I quite like being their Alpha, rather than simply a commander."

Josie couldn't contain her smile. His admission that he truly wanted the hybrids to be a pack, that he liked being a part of it, made her so happy.

"That's great, Klaus," she said, smiling. "I guess… knowing so much of your history, I was quick to judge. I'm sorry."

"Perhaps you're not the only one," he said, moving closer to her. "When I discovered you were in Kol's room, that he'd fed on you… I feared our little spat had driven you into his arms."

Josie frowned and looked into his eyes.

"I told you before, I wouldn't. I was drunk and that damn electricity was screaming at me to stay with him… and I still only wanted you. How could you possibly think I would do that?"

"You suspected the same of me," he said defensively.

"That's different," said Josie, crossing her arms.

"Enlighten me how so, love," he said, eyes narrowed.

Josie pursed her lips, not really wanting to talk about her insecurities in regards to their relationship.

"It doesn't matter," she said after a few seconds. "I think I should leave."

She tried to move past him, but he caught her arm in a firm grip.

"Answer me, Josie…" he growled.

"Take your hand off me, Klaus," she said, trying to pull her arm away and keep the emotion out of her voice.

"Not until you answer me," he said, the anger starting to creep back in his voice.

"Because I'm way more invested in this than you are!" she fairly shouted.

He looked surprised. "Why would you think that?"

Was he being serious?

"Because I've told you how I feel," she said heatedly, her eyes feeling dangerously watery. "That I care about you. That I missed you when you were gone. That I don't want to be with anyone else. And I all I've gotten in return are territorial wolf bites and how much you enjoy fucking me. Like I'm just some blow-up toy you don't want anyone else to play with."

Klaus released her, stepping back like she'd slapped him. His face was full of conflicting emotions she couldn't read.

"I should go," she said, unable to take his gaze any longer.

"Wait."

He caught her arm again.

"I do care for you," said Klaus, pulling her back into his embrace. "Surely you see that?"

"I can't guess what you're thinking, Klaus. And I'm…." She sighed. "I'm tired of trying."

Klaus stared at her for several seconds before speaking.

"I've told you of things in my past I've never shared with anyone outside my family. I gave you a priceless necklace to protect you despite the fact that you owe me nothing. I offered to turn you to ease the pain of your visions. The visions that are possibly the largest advantage we have against my enemies."

He reached up and cupped her face in a tender gesture before continuing.

"The Salvatores live solely because you wish it. You do not need to doubt how much I care for you, my love. The lengths I would go to protect you, keep you happy, the allowances I would make for you… And only you, Josie."

Josie could hardly breathe. It was everything she'd wanted to hear from him.

She reached up and gave him a soft kiss. He returned her kiss, running his fingers through her hair before pulling back.

"Are you content, my love?" he asked, looking into her eyes with a shadow of a doubt.

She smiled. "I think we can return to our regularly scheduled programming."

She pressed her lips against his, this time much more urgently. He kissed her back eagerly, picking her up and wrapping her legs around his waist. The world blurred crazily and she was in his bedroom, on his bed with him on top of her.

She reached down and skirted her hands under his shirt, wanting to feel his smooth skin underneath her fingertips. He sat up and pulled his shirt off, flinging it across the room.

He looked down at her, his hands stilling at his eyes roamed over her outfit.

"This is stunning," he said, leaning down to kiss the top of each breast that was pushed up as a result of the corset. "You should wear such things more often."

Josie giggled. "I thought you said I should wear dresses more often."

"In my day, they were one and the same."

Josie laughed again. "Listen old man, are you going to keep talking about my clothes or…"

She was cut off by the sound of ripping fabric. She felt chilly suddenly and she realized he had used vampire speed to completely undress her.

"I liked that costume," she said, grumpily, as he removed the rest of his clothing. "I don't see you ripping your own clothes."

He returned to his position above her, kneeling between her spread thighs.

"It was ruined," he said, dipping his head to kiss her jawline.

"A little oxyclean gets blood right out," said Josie, frowning. "Believe me I know."

Klaus growled, clearly not interested in laundry talk. "I'll buy you a thousand more costumes."

"That's not the point, it's…"

Her words turned to a loud moan as he reached down and plunged two fingers inside her. She could feel him hardening against her leg as he moved his fingers in and out, his thumb brushing her clit with every stroke.

"Please, Klaus. Please," she said, moving her hips in time with his fingers.

He stilled his fingers causing her to whimper.

Her disappointment didn't last long as he removed his fingers and replaced them with his thick length. He groaned as he sank into her, his lips placing open-mouthed kisses on her neck.

Instead of immediately backing out and thrusting into her again, he paused and moved his head to meet her gaze.

"What is it?" she whispered, when he'd been staring into her eyes for a few seconds.

"I…" He breathed in, frowning as though he were trying to decide what to say.

When he hesitated again, she gave him a small smile and kissed him.

"I…" He sighed, looking down as if disappointed with himself. "I don't wish to fight with you."

Josie nodded, though she felt like maybe that wasn't what he'd wanted to say. At the moment, she was a little preoccupied and she moved her hips against his, seeking the friction she'd lost when he'd removed his fingers.

She was rewarded with a groan from him and the counter movement of his hips. She was surprised when he didn't set his usual intense pace. Instead, he grabbed her hands and held them above her head, linking his fingers with hers as he kissed her softly and moved in and out of her in an almost tender way.

His pace increased slowly. He took his time, kissing every inch of skin he could reach while his hands remained firmly linked with hers. It wasn't until she was moaning loudly, saying how close she was, that he released one of her hands and reached down to rub her clit so that she came screaming around him. He cursed loudly a minute later, spilling himself inside her.

Afterwards, he held her close, nuzzling and kissing her neck affectionately until they both drifted off to sleep wrapped around each other.

The next morning was Sunday and Klaus had the staff serve them breakfast in bed before they got up for the day.

Josie was just leaving the house when ran into Kol coming in. He didn't look at her as he moved inside and started to go up the stairs.

"Wait!" she called out to him. He stiffened, turned around slowly "Are you… okay? That spell was horrible."

"I'm fine, darling," said Kol, dismissively. "Felt a bit weird last night, but I took a trip to a local sorority and I feel right as rain."

Josie frowned. "Sorority?"

"Oh, relax," said Kol, rolling his eyes. "I promised Nik no killing in his new kingdom." He shook his head. "He's changed."

"Killing people is messy," said Josie, rolling her own eyes. "And pointless. You don't need to kill people to eat your fill. I've done the math."

And she had. She'd figured out how much blood vampires need to survive in a day and it was definitely below how much a healthy human could lose a day and survive.

"You're smart. I can see why he fancies you."

Josie took a step back, hoping Kol was just being polite.

Kol smirked. "Don't mistake me, love. I have no interest. You've been with my brother. I'm not Elijah."

"Fair enough," she said, trying to suppress a laugh. "I'm glad you're feeling better. I still can't believe your mother used that curse."

"You think it was Mother?" asked Kol, frowning slightly.

"You don't?"

"Not really her style."

"If it wasn't Esther then who?"

Kol shrugged. "Nik's got plenty of enemies."

"I guess," said Josie, a little uneasy.

If Esther hadn't done this, then who had?

"Well, I fancy a shower," said Kol, continuing up the stairs. "I've got a bit of Pippa on me. Or was it Piper? Such odd names in this century…"

Josie shook her head and went out the door, thinking over what Kol had said.

The next week passed by much like the last two had. Josie saw Klaus when she could, spending time with her friends and family as well. Klaus was busy searching for Finn and Esther. Josie was finally caught up on her schoolwork and was looking forward to the long weekend- the next Monday and Tuesday the school was closed.

Rebekah and Mason were still fighting, despite their kiss at the Halloween party, though he was gone a lot- as Klaus' Beta he was spearheading the Finn and Esther-hunting efforts. Josie and Rebekah had started hanging out more and she found that Rebekah fit pretty well in her group of friends.

It was Thursday afternoon, just after school when Josie got a call from Klaus.

"Hey," she answered the phone.

She and Jeremy were playing Xbox in the Gilbert living room.

"Hello, love. I trust you made it to your classes on time?"

Josie shook her head, remembering how he'd made her late this morning in bed.

"I was late, actually. But somehow Ms. Flemming didn't even notice."

"I believe James spoke to all your teachers earlier this week. He assured me they understood you have other responsibilities to attend to and will sometimes require special consideration."

Josie rolled her eyes. Clearly Klaus had asked James, one of his hybrids, to compel all her teachers. She wasn't going to complain though. It would make her life a lot easier.

"Remind me to thank James for that," she said, smiling. "What's up? Did you call just to say hello or…?"

"I called to inquire as to your plans for this weekend. Seeing as you have four days available, I thought perhaps we could get away from Mystic Falls for a bit. I did promise you a weekend in lieu of our evening I had to cancel."

"Aren't you busy?" asked Josie, confused. "Esther and Finn are still out there."

"Yes, currently plotting my death. So I say, no time like the present."

Josie nodded. If anything urgent came up, they could just come back. That was the beauty of modern technology.

"Okay, so where are we going?"

"Where would you like, my love? I'll take you anywhere."

Josie bit her lip, thinking. "Someplace warm and relaxing? It's getting a bit chilly now that it's November."

"Warm and relaxing, hmm? I may know of a place…"

Two hours later, Josie had dragged Elena to a nearby mall to help her shop for the trip.

"I liked the blue one better," said Elena, looking at the swimsuit Josie was wearing.

Josie turned around, looking at herself from every angle.

"Should I get more than one?" she asked. "We'll be gone for four days."

"Don't you already have a few?" asked Elena, looking at the skirt she was trying on.

"Yeah, but I kinda want something new for this," said Josie. "I like that one on you. You should wear skirts more often."

"It's not exactly the season," said Elena. "Plus, then I have to shave my legs."

Josie giggled. "You don't anyway?"

Elena shrugged. "What reason do I have to? I'm decidedly single. And I say that with a minimal amount of bitterness."

Josie sighed. They hadn't talked about Elena's drunken 'confession' at the Halloween party that she missed the Salvatores less than she thought she would. Josie actually thought it was a good thing, knowing how entangled Elena became in the Salvatore love triangle. Maybe some space that she hadn't gotten in the original storyline would give Elena some clarity.

"How are Damon and Stefan doing?" asked Josie.

"Fine, I guess. It's been… strange without them here, but honestly, it's kind of a relief too."

"You mean from having to make a choice between them?"

Elena sighed. "I never wanted it to be like that. I loved Stefan for so long, but he was a different person after the summer. Even after Elijah flipped his humanity switch back. And Damon was so supportive the whole time. Trying to get Stefan back to me. I got to see this entirely different side of him."

Josie nodded. "Have you ever considered that maybe the reason you can't decide is because neither of the brothers is the right fit?"

"Maybe," said Elena, looking thoughtful.

"You know, when I was under that soulmate curse. I felt this pull toward Kol, but it was Klaus that I was thinking about the whole time. The choice was so… easy. Isn't that the way it should be? Our lives are so hard sometimes. But love, love should be easy."

"Maybe you're right," said Elena, nodding slightly. "And what about you?"

"Me?"

Elena smiled. "You spend practically every night with him. You're going away with him for a long weekend. You're buying new swimsuits and new lingerie for him… You love him, Jo."

Josie sighed, looking back at herself in the mirror. "Maybe."

"Are you going to tell him?"

Josie shook her head. "Not until I'm sure there's a chance in hell he'll say it back."

 **A/N: As always, with Klaus and feelings talk, let me know if you felt it was in character- Josie was about to walk out, which is why I figured Klaus was willing to spill something. Also, I do think if Elena had been able to get some space from the Salvatores and some level-headed advice, events could have gone differently.**


	57. Something Wicked This Way Comes

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter!**

 **Timeline fyi- Josie and Klaus started sleeping together in mid-September, it's now early November, so it's been about 1.5 months or so. I know it seems like if she were going to get pregnant, she'd know by now, but it actually hasn't been that long. Contrary to what they show on TV, it can actually be hard to get pregnant and can take healthy couples a few months to conceive, even when they're actively trying. Not saying I'm going to knock her up, just saying it's still a possibility- the window hasn't passed.**

 **Anyway, here's the next chapter.**

"Hey Aunt Jenna," said Elena as she and Josie walked into the house after shopping.

"Hey girls," answered Jenna, getting up to greet them. "Josie, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure," nodded Josie, while Elena headed up the stairs to put away the clothes she'd bought.

"I had a funny conversation with Jeremy an hour ago," said Jenna. "About this weekend."

"I was going to tell you…" started Josie.

Jenna sighed. "I know I'm not your mother, but four days, out of state, possibly out of country, with Klaus?"

"It'll be fine," said Josie. "I'll be back."

"I can't believe I'm even considering allowing this," said Jenna, shaking her head.

"You and I both know you can't stop me," said Josie, though she said it without any malice, just a statement of fact.

Jenna smiled. "My guilt tripping skills are legendary."

Josie sighed, knowing it was true. Jenna couldn't stop her, but she could make her feel badly about going and put a cloud over the weekend. Jenna had planned a family brunch on Sunday that Josie would be missing.

"Tell you what," said Jenna with a hint of a smirk. "If you agree to do something for me, you have my blessing to go with Klaus wherever you want this weekend. Provided he returns you in one piece."

Josie cocked her head to the side warily. "What do I have to do?"

"I want you to start training with us."

Josie's face fell. Jeremy, Jenna and Elena had been training with Alaric every day since the summer. It was always before school and Josie hated getting up early, so she'd been the sole member of the household absent. Jenna had been pushing her to come ever since she'd gotten back to Mystic Falls.

"Alright," said Josie, sighing.

It's not like she didn't want to learn to fight, she just cringed every time she'd contemplated getting up at five in the morning.

"Great!" said Jenna, smiling. "We'll see you tomorrow at quarter after five. Have fun packing!"

Jenna smirked and waltzed back to her seat on the couch where she'd been watching the news.

Josie went upstairs to put her clothes away and start packing. She and Klaus were leaving the next evening for their trip and she wanted to make sure she had everything she needed.

She ate dinner with her siblings and Jenna before turning in early, wanting to get plenty of sleep for her 5.00 am wake-up time.

"Josie!" came Jeremy's voice. "Josie, wake up!"

"Five more minutes," she groaned, rolling over.

"We're supposed to be downstairs in five minutes," laughed Jeremy.

"Wha… What?" exclaimed Josie, sitting up. "My alarm…"

"I think you turned it off in your sleep," said Jeremy, still laughing.

"I'm up. I'm up," said Josie, getting out of bed and grabbing her workout gear.

"Be down in five," said Jeremy, slipping out the door. "Or I'm sending Jenna in after you."

Twenty minutes later and Jenna, Elena, Jeremy, Josie and Alaric were walking up to Alaric's apartment. Alaric had spent the night with Jenna as he usually did.

"Is there a reason you even keep this place anymore?" asked Josie. "How often are you here?"

Jenna and Alaric looked at each other a little embarrassed.

"Jo!" exclaimed Elena.

"Oh, sorry," said Josie, biting her lip. "It's early and I haven't had coffee."

"Actually, since you're all here," said Jenna as they walked into Alaric's apartment. "What would you think about that?"

"About me moving in," clarified Alaric.

Josie, Jeremy and Elena looked at each other and smiled.

"Like Jo said. You practically live with us anyway," said Jeremy.

"Does that mean we can sleep in an extra 15 minutes?" asked Josie.

"I was thinking about keeping this place as a training space," said Alaric.

"Well that sucks," frowned Josie. "But I'm cool with you moving in."

Everyone looked at Elena who smiled.

"Congratulations, you guys!" said Elena, enveloping both Jenna and Alaric in a big hug.

"Alright," said Alaric after Elena had released him and Jenna from the hug. "We'll talk about move-in dates later. Right now, let's get to work."

For the next hour, Alaric went through the general training regimen he followed with Jenna, Jeremy and Elena, including cardio, strength training, basic combat and weapons use.

Josie watched Jenna and Elena spar against each other, impressed by how comfortable they seemed with the short sticks that served as makeshift stakes for training purposes.

"When you return from your weekend away, I'll put together a cardio and strength training regimen for you," said Alaric, as they wrapped up their training.

"Welcome to Buffy Boot Camp," said Jenna, slinging her duffel bag over her shoulder.

"It'll be good for you," assured Alaric warmly.

"And I'll sleep better at night knowing all my wards know basic self-defense," said Jenna. "Come on. I'm sure you're dying for a shower."

Later that day, Josie was sitting at lunch with her friends, Bridget, Tracy and Colin, discussing Josie's last minute trip for the long weekend.

"And you have no idea where's he taking you?" asked Bridget.

"Nope. I just requested warm and relaxing," said Josie.

"His bed?" giggled Tracy.

"Knowing my brother, it'll probably be ridiculously extravagant," said Rebekah, joining them at the table.

"Hey Bex," said Bridget, using the nickname Josie's group of friends had given Rebekah since she'd begun hanging out with them. "I heard the most scandalous rumor that Tommy Friedan stayed home today because someone held him down and shaved his head last night."

Everyone laughed. Tommy Friedan had been dating Tracy until a few days ago, when she caught him cheating. Rebekah had sworn revenge on behalf of her new friend and, after Josie had reminded her that killing and maiming were off-limits, had decided on a more adolescent form of vengeance.

"Really?" asked Rebekah with mock innocence. "How dreadful…"

Josie smiled as everyone laughed again. Rebekah fit in well with her group of friends.

That evening, Klaus picked Josie up from the Gilbert House and they headed to the nearby private air field. After they'd taken off, the flight attendant came by and asked what they'd like for dinner and breakfast.

"Breakfast?" asked Josie as the attendant walked away. "Where are we going that we're going to be having breakfast on the plane?"

"Told you it was a surprise," smiled Klaus, linking his fingers with hers.

"Does that mean we're sleeping on the plane?" asked Josie, eyeing the seats warily.

It was a nice enough seating area, but it wasn't exactly comfortable for sleeping.

"Fancy a spot in the mile high club?" asked Klaus, kissing her neck.

"Klaus…" she scolded, as the flight attendant was at the bar, which was located in the same area where Klaus and Josie were sitting.

"Come," he said, getting up and pulling her with him.

"Where are we going?"

Klaus just smirked and walked to the back of the plane towards a door, which Josie assumed was the bathroom. When he opened it, she was surprised to see a small bedroom. He closed the door behind him.

"Now," he said, speeding them onto the bed. "Shall we start this sojourn off properly?"

Early the next morning, Klaus and Josie were having breakfast in the seating area when the flight attendant announced they would be landing shortly.

"Are you going to tell me where we are now?" asked Josie, looking out the window.

They were still flying over water, so they must be going to a coast city or perhaps an island.

Klaus just smiled and continued drinking his coffee. When they finally landed, Klaus led her down the plane's steps to an awaiting helicopter.

"Where are we?" asked Josie, quizzically.

"Belize," said Klaus, smiling. "Our final destination is a small island I've rented."

"An island?" repeated Josie. "You can rent an entire island?"

"It'll just be the two of us," said Klaus, leading her to the helicopter. "And the staff of course."

Josie just nodded as the pilot gave her a headset and helped her into the back of the helicopter.

She watched as their luggage was loaded onto the helicopter and they took off. 15 minutes later, they saw the pilot point out the window to the left.

Looking out, Josie realized it must be the island. It had one large building, surrounded by a few smaller ones, all sitting on a small, white sand beach. There was also a large veranda with a pool built-in.

Josie leaned over to Klaus, as much as she could as she was strapped into the seat, and gave him a kiss. The place looked amazing. She couldn't believe Klaus had done this. He must be a secret romantic because this place just screamed romance.

A few more minutes and they were landing in a small patch of grass. Klaus helped Josie out of her straps and she stepped onto the grass.

"Welcome!" said a middle aged woman, stepping forward. "I'm Holly. This is my husband, Harry. We'll be your hosts for the next few days."

Harry smiled warmly. "You must be Mr. Mikaelson." He shook Klaus' hand. "Ms. Gilbert." He shook Josie's as well.

"Nice to meet you," said Josie, smiling.

"We've prepared everything to your specifications," said Holly, indicating for Klaus and Josie to follow her as she walked toward one of the buildings.

"Excellent," said Klaus, taking Josie's hand as they walked toward the building.

After giving them a tour of the villa, Holly and Harry ran off to speak to the chef about preparing Klaus and Josie lunch.

"What do you fancy then, hmm?" asked Klaus when they were alone in the master suite's bedroom.

The side of the room that faced the beach was comprised entirely of glass panes, which had been pushed aside. Josie was looking out on the ocean, feeling the breeze on her face.

"A swim?" he asked, coming behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Josie smiled. "I did buy a new swimsuit."

Klaus nuzzled her neck. "Did you bring the one you wore in Italy?"

Josie chuckled. "Why, did you like that one?"

"I did," he said, nipping at her neck. "I wanted to ravish you right on the beach."

Josie turned around to face him.

"Really?" she asked. "Why did you turn me down then?"

She remembered she'd been surprised when she'd drunkenly hit on him in the club and he'd declined.

Klaus cupped her face. "If I'd thought for a second your offer was genuine and not a result of the copious amounts of alcohol you'd had, I would have taken you to bed that night."

"An honorable pervert," she said, giggling.

"A pervert?" he asked, eyebrow raised. "I do believe it was you who dragged me into the Grill's bathroom just a few days ago for a quick dalliance."

"The door was locked!" exclaimed Josie. "Besides that was your fault. You couldn't keep your hands to yourself while we were sitting there eating dinner."

"Oh, come on, love," said Klaus, pulling her flush against him. "You weren't wearing anything under your skirt. I think, ultimately, the fault lies with you."

Josie rolled her eyes. "I was in a rush getting dressed… Only a pervert would think no panties is an invitation."

Klaus growled and picked her up, wrapping her legs around him.

"I need no invitation," he whispered, lowering his lips to hers.

Just as they were about to kiss, there was a knock at the door to the villa.

"Think that's my rum punch?" asked Josie, hopping out of Klaus' arms.

She ran to the door and opened it.

A young man was there with a tray of drinks and some small dishes of fruit and canapés.

"The chef sent some prepared refreshments while he makes your lunch," he said. "And I have your drinks. Would you like me to set them up on the veranda?"

Josie smiled. "Yes, thank you."

The man nodded and went out to the veranda to set a table for Josie and Klaus.

"I think I will go for a swim," said Josie. "Join me?"

Klaus grinned. "As you wish."

Josie had a lot of fun splashing Klaus in the ocean. Though he was able to easily dodge her efforts most of the time, she managed to catch him full in the face once to his surprise. He retaliated by tackling her under the water and slipping his hands underneath her swimsuit top, teasing her nipples until they were rock hard despite the warm water.

Afterwards, they toweled off and enjoyed lunch on the veranda, discussing their plans for the rest of the trip.

"What else is there to do here?" asked Josie as she sipped her drink.

"Viewing wildlife, ancient temples," said Klaus. "A variety of water activities. Snorkeling, diving…"

"How ancient?" asked Josie. "Like you ancient or ancient, ancient?"

"I'm only a thousand years old, love. The Mayan civilization is much older."

Josie laughed. 'Only a thousand years.'

"I'd be up for seeing some temples or wildlife," she said. "Tomorrow though. Today I just want to lie on the beach and swim some."

Klaus nodded. "I'll let the staff know to arrange a tour for tomorrow."

They spent the rest of the day on the beach. Josie read her book, swam some and sunbathed. Klaus had requested an easel with several canvases and painting supplies, so he spent most of the day painting.

Josie was walking up towards the villa to wash up for dinner when she noticed Klaus' latest painting.

"What do you think?" he asked. "Think I captured the mood?"

"Is that…"

"You?" he finished. "Of course, my love. Who else would it be?"

His painting depicted her walking into the water. She was looking out on the ocean, holding her hair back as it whipped around her. It was beautiful.

"I love it," she said, grabbing his hand. "You're really good. Have you ever sold your paintings?"

"Many times," he said, smiling. "You might be surprised how many of my paintings are hanging in various galleries around the world."

"I'm not sure there's anything about you that would surprise me at this point," she returned, as they walked into the master suite together.

"I sincerely doubt that," he said, slipping out of his clothes. "I look forward to trying."

He smirked as he lifted her up and sped them into the bathroom for a quick shower.

An hour later they were getting dressed for dinner.

"Remind me why we have to get all dressed up for dinner on the beach?" asked Josie as Klaus zipped up her dress.

Klaus kissed the back of her neck. "I promised you a date, love."

Josie turned and smiled. "I suppose you do clean up nice."

"And I don't think these would match your swimsuit," he said, holding up a velvet case. "I'm afraid they don't have any special powers, but I was able to find a sapphire that matches your necklace."

He opened the case to reveal a bracelet and a pair of earrings.

"They're beautiful," said Josie, running a finger over the bracelet. "Thank you."

Klaus smiled. "Only seems appropriate I provide you with something to match your necklace."

"What's the occasion?" asked Josie as she put on the earrings and bracelet.

"I wasn't aware I needed a reason to give you a gift."

Josie turned to look at herself in the mirror. The earrings and bracelet really did match her necklace well.

"Thank you," she said again. "Are you sure it's not too much?"

Klaus came up behind her and looked at her in the mirror.

"The sapphire I've had for some time. I simply had it cut and reset. Like your necklace it was once worn by a queen." Klaus smiled. "It suits you."

Josie turned and kissed him. "I love them. Thank you."

"My pleasure, love." He offered his arm. "Shall we?"

Dinner on the beach was delicious and after dessert, Josie and Klaus laid on a blanket while he pointed out various constellations. The stars were much more visible here on the island than they were in Mystic Falls.

The next day, they headed to the mainland and a local tour guide took them around to various temples and to see wildlife. Klaus, with his vampire hearing and sight, impressed the tour guide with his wildlife spotting skills so much that he told Klaus if he ever got tired of mergers and acquisitions, he would always have a job as a tour guide (Klaus always gave people a vague 'businessman' description when they asked for his occupation).

The day after, Monday, they spent doing a bit of snorkeling and swimming before turning in early. Klaus said he had a surprise for Josie.

"A surprise?" she asked, biting her lip.

Klaus gathered her in his arms. "Do you trust me?"

"I guess…" she said, frowning. "Why?"

"How much?" he asked, holding up a blindfold.

Josie blushed a little, remembering she'd mentioned once, after a few too many drinks, that she'd always had a fantasy of being blindfolded during sex.

"I trust you won't hurt me," she said, honestly.

Klaus smiled and turned her around so she was facing away from him. He slipped the blindfold over her eyes and tied it behind her head. She tensed when she felt his hand at her back, lowering the zipper to her dress. He wasn't doing anything scary really, it just felt strange that she couldn't see what he was doing.

"Relax, love," he said, still behind her. "I only wish to make you feel good."

Josie bit her lip as he finished undressing her. She stepped out of her dress and underwear, standing completely naked. She heard a low growl from behind her and his lips on her neck.

"You are exquisite," he whispered in her ear.

She felt his hands roam over her body, while he continued to place small kisses on her neck. She felt a rush of air and she was on her back on what felt like the bed.

"Tell me if I do anything you're uncomfortable with," he said from somewhere above her.

Josie nodded. He grabbed left arm and she felt something soft encircle her wrist while he pulled it above her head. He repeated the same with the right and a little tugging proved to her that her hands were now bound above her head, though not uncomfortably.

Okay, blindfolded and tied up. Why was this such a turn-on? She felt herself getting wet and heard a chuckle from above her when he ran a hand through her slit.

"You are a naughty little thing."

Josie blushed, unable to refute his statement.

She didn't feel anything for what felt like a minute when all of a sudden she felt Klaus' mouth on her neck. But he was strangely… cold. Vampires in general tended to be slightly cooler than a normal human, depending on how long it had been since they'd fed, but as a hybrid, Klaus was just as hot, if not hotter than a human.

She enjoyed the interesting sensation as his mouth kissed down to her chest when he pulled back for a few seconds. His mouth returned, enclosing itself over her nipple, again much colder than normal. She moaned at the sensation, wondering what he was doing when he pulled back again, but this time something very cold was running over her nipple.

His mouth switched to the other side while he continued rubbing her other nipple with what she thought was an ice cube. He kissed down her stomach, the ice cube trailing behind him when he parted her legs.

She bit her lip, knowing what was coming, only to frown when she felt his mouth on one inner thigh and the ice cube on the other. It was hot and frustrating at the same time, not knowing what was coming. After a minute and a fresh ice cube, she moaned, lifting her hips, straining against the restraints on her wrists.

"Patience, my love," he said, chuckling.

He continued kissing down her thigh, to her calf and ankle of one side, then back up again. He started going up her stomach and she was about to cry in frustration when he suddenly plunged his cool tongue inside her, causing her to moan loudly in pleasure.

When he stroked her clit with that same cool tongue and teased her slit with the ice cube, she thought she had died and gone to heaven. When he plunged two cool fingers into her and set a brutal pace that matched the flicking of his tongue on her clit, she screamed, coming so hard she might have blacked out for a second.

When she came to, Klaus had removed the blindfold and he was staring down at her.

"Are you…?" he asked, looking a bit concerned.

Josie nodded. "Hmm… wow, I just. Wow."

He grinned, leaning down to give her a kiss. That's when she noticed that while he'd removed her blindfold, she was still tied up and he was naked with a very impressive erection.

He noticed her gaze on him and smiled.

"See something you fancy?" he asked, shifting to kneel between her spread legs.

"Maybe…" she said, smiling and licking her lips.

He pushed himself inside her in one smooth movement causing them both to groan loudly. He started to move in and out of her roughly, wrapping her legs around his waist to allow for deeper penetration.

She was pulling against her restraints, itching to touch him as he fucked her. He noticed and reached above her head, ripping easily through the restraints. She ran her hands over his chest immediately, settling them on his arms, pulling him down for a kiss.

He lowered his head even further, kissing her neck affectionately, all the while continuing to thrust in and out of her more and more quickly. She felt herself about to come again and could tell from his breathing that he was getting close too.

She didn't know if it was how thoughtful he'd been all weekend, or his gentle and stimulating treatment with the blindfold, but for some reason, she wanted to give him one of his desires during sex too.

"Bite me," she whispered, while his lips were on her neck.

He slowed his pace and pulled back, looking into her eyes with surprise.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She nodded, tilting her head to the side.

"Please don't stop," she said, moving her hips, willing him to keep his pace, given how close she was.

He didn't hesitate anymore, thrusting into her in earnest as she moaned around him. He leaned down again, this time reaching between them to rub her clit while he pounded into her.

She moaned loudly as it sent her over the edge and she felt the slight twinge of his fangs pierce her neck as she convulsed around him. He continued sucking at her neck as his length pushed inside her again and again until, about a minute later, he groaned and came inside her.

His hips eventually stilled and he lifted his head, his features in their normal state. He looked down at her with slightly concerned eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Why…" he trailed off.

She shrugged. "I know you want to. And I thought we could try it."

He tilted his head. "Why now?"

Josie bit her lip. "I know it's probably different for you, but to me, it feels really… personal. Not something I want to share with just anybody."

"Why do you assume it's different for me?"

"You're a vampire. You drink blood to survive. Feeding is hardly personal."

"It can be," he said, running a hand down her cheek. "With the right person. I assure you I don't share my blood with just anybody. I haven't done so in this context in a very long time."

"Really?" asked Josie, finding it hard to believe he hadn't fed off a girl during sex in a while.

"Oh, I bite," he smirked. "Doesn't mean I return the favor."

Then he reached up and bit into his wrist, offering it to her. She only hesitated for a second before bringing his wrist to her mouth and taking a few sips. She still didn't like the taste, but definitely didn't want to go around with a bite mark on her neck.

He kissed her for another minute before slipping from within her and rolling to his back, settling her on his side, her head on his shoulder.

They laid there for a while, talking about their plans for the next day, Tuesday, which was their last day in Belize. Josie was sad they had to leave and wish they'd had more time just the two of them.

The next morning, she'd just stepped out of the shower when she gasped, feeling the telltale sign of a vision. It was Esther and Finn. They were standing in a hotel room, speaking to a man and a woman.

"What're talking to me for?" asked the man. "If you've got that thing?"

Esther sighed, turning the stake over in her hands. "As I explained before, I do not wish to kill my children. Merely to end their existence as vampires."

"Seems to me for a creature who's lived a thousand years, what's another lifetime spent as a human?" the man pressed again.

"It's none of your concern," said Esther, sharply. "All vampires will be dead within a generation. Surely we can agree on this?"

Both the man and woman nodded.

"Good," said Esther. "Then we begin immediately." She turned to the man. "My son, Finn, will help you with what you need. Your hunting will be much more efficient with his assistance." Then she turned to the woman. "And you and I will work together on your magic."

The scene faded away and Josie was shaking when she came back to reality. Klaus was holding her close and they were sitting on the bed.

"It's alright, love," said Klaus, soothingly. "What was it?"

"It's not possible," said Josie, shaking her head. "It can't be."

Klaus just looked at her quizically.

She continued. "The white oak stake that you burned. The one I stabbed Stefan with. What did it look like?" she asked, barely able to breathe.

"Just a normal stake," he answered. "Why?"

"How did your mother get it? Jeremy brought it right to us. Remember he came into the dining room, he said…"

"He said Finn let him in," finished Klaus, growling. "Finn must have overheard the conversation you had with Jeremy. He stole the stake and replaced it with another, which I burned."

Klaus got up off the bed in a rage. "The second I see either of them…"

He bent down and picked up one of the armchairs in the room and savagely tossed it out the side of the room that faced the ocean. Thankfully, the glass panes were open. Josie cringed, knowing the chair was probably sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

"It's going to be okay," she said, getting off of bed. "She's not going to use it."

Klaus picked up another armchair and hurled it outside as well before turning back to Josie.

"I need to know what you saw. Exactly," said Klaus, gathering Josie in his arms.

And she told him everything she'd seen.

"Who were they?" asked Klaus, referring to the man and woman that Josie had seen.

"I think the woman was Lucy Bennett," said Josie, thinking back. "She's Bonnie's cousin."

"And the man?"

"I recognize his face," said Josie, biting her lip. "His accent was Scottish, I think. I guess he's a…"

Josie trailed off, suddenly remembering who he was.

"Oh god," she said, her vision clicking into place.

"What is it?" asked Klaus, looking worried.

"It makes sense, given she wants to turn you all human, but I can't believe she'd risk hell on earth just to do it."

"Hell on earth?"

Josie nodded. "Esther's going after the cure."

 **A/N: I hoped you liked the Josie/Klaus moments in this, you know, before it was completely interrupted by Esther's search for the cure and the white oak revelation.**

 **Anyway, I wanted to include the cure arc some way in this story, but in the show it was just so long and drawn out. Here, it won't take nearly as long- couple of chapters at most, I think. I did promise a twist in Esther's arc- as always, do let me know what you thought :-)**


	58. Race for the Cure (Part One)

**A/N: Apologies for the long delay on this! Real life got crazy and even my 'Me Time' (which I guard very jealously and use to write, at least lately) got eaten up by other events, people, etc.**

 **Anyway, blah, blah, excusecakes. Here's the next chapter :-)**

"The cure?" Klaus repeated, still holding Josie in his arms.

Josie nodded. "The immortality cure. You ran into the Brotherhood of the Five Hunters, right? They had a tattoo that was a map and that map led to the cure for immortality."

"Yes…" said Klaus, still looking confused. "But I killed them all. Without the map how does Esther plan to find the cure?"

"The Scottish guy in my vision. He's one of the Five. The Brotherhood didn't die when you killed the original five hunters. There are others that can take their place. 'Potential' hunters. The more vampires a hunter kills, the tattoo grows. That's what Finn is doing. Helping the hunter kill as many vampires as possible, as quickly as possible. Once he completes the mark, Esther can use Lucy Bennett to go to Silas' tomb, open it, and take the cure."

"Silas?" questioned Klaus. "Silas… isn't a myth?"

Josie shook her head and explained the whole Silas/Amara/Qetsiyah story. How Silas tricked Qetsiyah into making the immortality potion, then he gave it to his true love Amara, who he thinks is dead, but she is actually the anchor to the Other Side. How Qetsiyah created the Other Side and the cure so that Silas, trapped in his cave, would take the cure, die and end up with Qetsiyah on the Other Side.

"I'm still not understanding the 'hell on earth' bit," said Klaus.

"Because Silas doesn't want to die and end up on the Other Side with Qetsiyah, right? He just wants to die. His plan is to the lower the veil to the Other Side. So every dead supernatural creature would come back." She rolled her eyes. "Yikes, right? There are enough supernatural creatures on this side to worry about."

"Is there a way to obtain the cure without awakening Silas?" asked Klaus, looking more and more perturbed by his mother's actions.

"I don't know," said Josie, shrugging. "From what I saw, the cure is like cemented in his hands. He wanted to make sure no one was able to get the cure without awakening him."

Klaus was silent, clearly taking all the information in.

"We may not have much time, Klaus," said Josie, softly. "The Scottish guy is a skilled hunter and with Finn's help he can kill a bunch of vampires quickly. Plus, Lucy Bennett is an experienced witch…"

Klaus blinked, startled out of his thoughts into action.

"Yes," he said, stepping out of her embrace and reaching for the phone in the bedroom. "I'll call for the helicopter. We should return to Mystic Falls immediately. I'm sorry, love. I'll take you windsurfing another time."

Josie nodded, knowing how important it was to get back and come up with a plan soon.

She started gathering her things to re-pack her suitcase. The cure… She couldn't remember how the whole storyline started, but did remember Professor Shane had been the whole mastermind. She thought she had time though. That they had to get rid of Esther first. Now, thanks to the damn butterfly effect, Esther was going after it and had the potential to really turn her kids human.

She wondered what would happen if an Original Vampire took the cure? Would it act the same as Esther's original plan to undo the spell that made them vampires? Esther had said if she undid the spell, the Originals would turn back into humans, their sirelines would remain vampires, but when the Originals died, their entire sireline would die with them.

But there was no telling what would happen if Finn really took the cure while his siblings were linked to him. Josie would rather not find out.

"The helicopter soon be arriving soon," said Klaus, interrupting her thoughts.

He quickly packed his things and carried their suitcases out to the grassy area where the helicopter would land to take them back to the mainland.

In the end, it took them the entire day to get back to Mystic Falls. The small regional airport didn't have any airplanes that could fly the distance to Virginia, no matter how much Klaus threatened and compelled people, so they were forced to transfer to a larger airport, make connections, etc. until they finally arrived at the Mikaelson house that night.

When they entered the house, all the Original siblings were there, plus Mason as Klaus' Beta, Bonnie (as the resident witch, a Bennett, no less) and Elena (as the doppelganger).

After everyone greeted Klaus and Josie, asking them about their trip, they quickly moved onto the topic at hand and why Klaus had asked for this meeting- what Josie had seen in her vision.

"A vision?" asked Rebekah, curiously. "What about? Mother?"

"Yes…" began Klaus.

"You know where she is?" asked Kol, eagerly.

"Not exactly," clarified Klaus. "But we know her plan... She seeks the cure."

"The cure to what?" asked Bonnie, not understanding the startled faces of the Originals.

"Immortality," said Josie. "Esther found a hunter and a Bennett witch- Bonnie, your cousin Lucy, and she's going to open Silas' tomb, get the cure and have Finn take it."

At that, everybody started talking at once.

"My cousin..." said Bonnie.

"Silas is dangerous!" exclaimed Kol.

"I had thought Klaus killed…" frowned Elijah.

"We will explain!" said Klaus, loudly, talking over the din.

Then he and Josie told them the story of Silas, Amara, and Qetsiyah. Including how Silas and Amara were the origin of the doppelgangers and what Silas' ultimate plan was.

"Every dead supernatural creature on earth would come back?" whispered Elena, eyes wide.

"Including all the ones everyone in this room has killed," confirmed Josie. "Needless to say, we can't let that happen. We have to stop Esther."

"And there's no way to get the cure without awakening Silas?" asked Rebekah.

Josie sighed, remembering how much Rebekah had wanted to cure to have a family of her own.

"Haven't you been listening?" growled Kol. "It's not worth the risk!"

"Silas is just one person," Rebekah argued back. "Surely, together, we can…"

"You think he would not have allies amongst the living, with the promise of returning their loved ones to them?" challenged Klaus. "We..."

"Enough!" commanded Elijah. Josie smiled slightly when everyone stopped talking at the authority in his voice. "This is not the time for such discussions. We must first dispose of Mother and unlink ourselves. Can we at least agree on that for now?"

Everyone was silent, clearly unable to argue with his logic.

"There's something else you should know about the cure," said Josie, looking at Klaus. "Two things, actually. It's really a cure for immortality, not vampirism, so if a vampire takes the cure, their blood becomes the cure. But once another immortal drinks their blood, the cure transfers to that person. But the first vampire starts aging rapidly, to make up for all their borrowed years as a vampire."

Rebekah's face fell, clearly unhappy with this information.

"You said two things?" asked Mason.

It was Klaus who answered. "There is only one dose."

"Just one?" said Rebekah, even less happy with this.

Josie nodded. "It was meant for Silas. Ideally, we would fulfill the Five's quest: awaken Silas, shove the cure down his throat, and kill him. He goes to the Other Side, the cure can't be used against any vampire and no one tries to lower the veil."

"So why can't we do that?" asked Mason.

"You need a Hunter with a full mark and a Bennett witch trained in Expression to open Silas' tomb," explained Josie. "Esther nearly has those two things already and she's convinced them to use it against all of you, rather than Silas."

"So what's the plan, big brother?" asked Kol.

Josie and Klaus looked at each other. It's something they'd talked about almost all day. What was the best plan of attack?

"We find the tomb before Esther does and when she appears, we kill her and her witch."

"That's my cousin!" exclaimed Bonnie.

Klaus growled, but Josie put her hand on his arm.

"If she admits the error of her ways, I won't touch her," he said. "Don't forget your mother's life is linked to Kol's, just as the Salvatores are linked to mine," he reminded Bonnie. "Esther must be stopped."

Bonnie nodded. "I can talk to Lucy. She doesn't know about Abby."

"I don't understand," said Rebekah. "Do you know where the tomb is?"

"No," said Josie. "But I know someone who does."

"There's one more thing," said Klaus. "Esther has a white oak stake. Finn stole the last one. The one Jeremy returned to us."

Everyone looked shocked.

"She's not going to use it," said Josie, quickly. "She wouldn't be going through all the trouble of getting the cure if she was just planning to stake Finn to kill you all."

"Then why keep the stake at all?" asked Elena, saying what everyone was thinking.

"No doubt she plans to use it on Finn and destroy us all if she does not succeed in obtaining the cure," said Elijah.

"So we send her back to hell before she gets the chance," said Klaus in a dangerous voice.

The next day, Kol, Josie and Klaus went to Whitmore College to see Professor Shane. Unfortunately, he was out of the office and had been for several days. No one seemed to know where he was and after an exhaustive search of the campus and his house, it was clear he was out of town.

Josie was sure he was somewhere on Silas/cure-related business, but couldn't remember what it could be. She remembered there had been three sacrifices, so perhaps he was working on those.

As they drove back to Mystic Falls, Klaus was more agitated than she'd ever seen him. Even more than when he'd failed to turn the werewolf pack in Tennessee and didn't know why. He was on the phone most of the time, barking orders to his hybrids, contacts, anyone who could help find more information about the cure, Silas and the whereabouts of Professor Shane.

Kol was the same. By the time they arrived back at the Mikaelson house, Josie was sure dozens of people scattered across the globe were now actively in pursuit of the location of Silas' tomb.

Kol sped out of the car without a word to Klaus and Josie, while Klaus stayed in the driver's seat with the car idling in the driveway.

Josie reached out from the passenger seat and grasped his knee.

"I can take you home," said Klaus, staring straight ahead and gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"I could stay," she said, though she knew she should go home. "If you want."

She had missed school today to go to Whitmore. Even though it was a short week, due to the long weekend, she really shouldn't miss more school. This was just too important though.

She knew she was in love with Klaus. She couldn't deny it anymore. She knew the moment she'd had the vision about Esther. She didn't want him to die. The thought of what Esther might do with that white oak stake in a weak moment absolutely terrified her.

"I'm afraid I won't be much fun," said Klaus, shaking his head.

"That's okay… You know I'm not just here for the fun parts."

At that, Klaus looked over and stared into her eyes with an odd expression. He didn't say anything though, so she continued.

"Today wasn't much fun," she explained. "Hunting for Professor Shane, trying to defeat your mother… Your baggage could fill several football stadiums, but I'm still here… with you."

Klaus grabbed her hand, linking it with his before he pulled it up to his mouth to lightly kiss the back of it.

"Thank you," he said, barely a whisper.

"Of course," she smiled, leaning over to kiss his lips. "That's what people do who care about each other. They help." She let her hand wander into his lap. "They… comfort."

Klaus smiled slightly as he looked down at her hand covering his crotch.

"Perhaps you ought to stay," he said, covering her lips with his own.

After a minute, he grew impatient with the small space of the car. He broke away from her and climbed out, speeding over to the passenger side. He opened the door and lifted her out of the car, wrapping her legs around his waist before speeding her up to his bedroom, where she comforted him twice before they fell asleep together.

The next day, Josie woke up alone in Klaus' bed. She got dressed and headed downstairs, wanting to get home and take a shower before school. She found Klaus in his office, having a meeting with Mason and a few of his hybrids.

"The professor will come home sometime," Klaus was saying. "We compelled his neighbors and colleagues to call when he returns."

Mason nodded. "According to his birth records, Atticus Shane is from Norfolk, so I sent James and Tabitha there this morning."

Klaus smiled. "Very good." He looked past Mason at Josie, who was standing in the doorway. "Good morning, love."

"Morning," she said, smiling at Klaus, Mason and the other hybrids. "No luck finding the professor or Silas?"

"None so far," said Klaus, grumpily.

"Nik, have you seen the keys to the…" Rebekah trailed off as she entered the office, noticing Mason was there.

Klaus sighed, noticing the awkward tension between Rebekah and Mason.

"The RS?" finished Klaus, raising an eyebrow. "Kol drove it last. Ask him."

Rebekah nodded and sped away without another word, leaving an awkward silence in her wake.

"So, I need a ride home," said Josie, breaking the silence. "School starts in an hour and I want to shower and change."

"I can take you," said Klaus, getting up.

"I thought you were going to train with the hybrids this morning," said Josie, frowning.

With all his Esther-hunting, Klaus had told Josie yesterday that he hadn't had much time for his pack lately other than strictly business, so Josie suggested that he join them for a casual training session or two.

"I can take Josie home," said Mason. "I have some errands I need to run in town anyway."

"Great," smiled Josie. "I'll see you later, Klaus."

Mason and Josie walked to his car and climbed in. They'd only been driving a minute when Mason spoke up.

"So how's school?" he asked.

Josie shrugged. "Okay. I'm all caught up from missing the first few weeks."

"That's good," said Mason. "Sounds like the Timberwolves are doing pretty well this year."

"Yeah," nodded Josie. "Tyler must be happy."

Mason sighed, shaking his head. "He is."

"I did talk to him, you know," said Josie, suddenly wishing she hadn't mentioned Tyler. "I tried to convince him not to."

She hadn't spoken to Tyler or Mason since Tyler had asked Klaus to turn him into a hybrid.

"I know," said Mason. "He was pissed at me for talking to you. He did think about what you said. Even if he didn't listen to either of us."

"He and Caroline are still together," offered Josie.

"Caroline has more patience for his thick-skull than I do," said Mason, shaking his head.

Josie shrugged. "She loves him. People can forgive crazy things when they're in love."

She should know. Klaus was certainly no saint.

Mason scoffed. "Sometimes love isn't enough to see past all the bad."

He was obviously talking about his relationship with Rebekah. Josie bit her lip, not sure what to say. She knew Rebekah still had feelings for Mason. It was clear he wasn't over her either. But from what Rebekah had told her, Rebekah couldn't stand the fact that Mason's first priority was to Klaus and his pack. She felt second-fiddle.

"Sometimes you have to help the other person see past the bad," offered Josie. "Tyler may have turned when Caroline didn't want him to, but he still makes her feel special. Elena told me he planned this super-romantic evening for her this weekend."

Mason looked thoughtful at that. "You think that actually worked?"

Josie sighed. "It's not about what a guy does or the presents he gives," she said, fingering the priceless necklace Klaus had given her. "It's about the thought behind it. Tyler wanted to show Caroline what she meant to him, the things he was willing to do for her."

"And you think… Caroline understood that even though Tyler is a hybrid, she still means the world to him?"

Josie smiled, knowing they weren't talking about Caroline and Tyler anymore.

"Caroline is a smart girl," said Josie. "But sometimes a guy just needs to say how he feels. Otherwise, he'll lose the girl forever. I mean, if she's worth it." She smiled. "And I definitely think 'Caroline' is worth it."

Mason smiled, knowing they weren't really talking about Caroline and Tyler anymore either.

"I think she's worth it," he said as they pulled up to the Gilbert house.

"Thanks for the ride," said Josie, hopping out of the car. "Give me a call if you want to talk more."

Mason smiled and wished her a good day at school before driving off.

Josie went into the house to get ready for school. She ran into Jeremy who gave her the homework she missed from the day before and told her Alaric was moving in this weekend and everyone was expected to help.

The next few days went by quickly. Two days after her car conversation with Mason, Rebekah excitedly told Josie and her friends at lunch that Mason had asked her out on a date for that Saturday night.

"Did he say where he's taking you?" asked Bridget, sipping her diet coke.

Rebekah shook her head. "He says it's a surprise. He told me to wear a dress though!"

"I want a boyfriend who takes me on surprise dates," moaned Colin, biting into his sandwich. "Or better yet, weekends away to Belize."

Rebekah laughed. "I still can't believe Nik rented an entire bloody island for you."

"Are you saying I'm not worth a whole island?" asked Josie with mock outrage.

"I'm saying I can't believe he'd rent an island for anyone," returned Rebekah, shaking her head.

"He's totally head over heels in love with you," giggled Tracy. "I could tell that at the ball."

Josie shook her head. "I don't think so. I mean, he hasn't said it."

"Nik's allergic to talking about his feelings," said Rebekah, rolling her eyes.

"As are all men," said Bridget. "Present company excluded of course."

"Thanks, Bridge," said Colin, laughing. "But I thought Klaus told you he cared about you, didn't he?"

Josie nodded. "Yeah."

Rebekah looked surprised. "He actually said that?"

Josie nodded again.

"What are you doing to my brother?" asked Rebekah.

"What?" asked Tracy, confused. "Don't tell me Klaus has never told a girl he cares about her?"

"Not in a very, very long time," answered Rebekah, looking at Josie with a curious expression.

"Well, we can examine Klaus' emotional history later," said Josie. "For now, when are we going shopping?"

"Shopping?" asked Rebekah.

"Duh," said Bridget, giggling. "It's like tradition to shop with your friends for an outfit when you have a big date. Didn't your friends at your old school do that? What's wrong with the British?"

Rebekah looked a little sad. "They weren't the shopping type, I guess."

Colin scoffed and linked his arm with Rebekah's. "Don't worry, darling. Bridget knows every mall within a 20 mile radius by heart. We'll help you pick out the perfect outfit."

"And then afterwards we'll get Starbucks and play a few rounds of Fuck, Marry, Kill," said Tracy.

"It's tradition," smiled Josie.

"Fuck, Marry, Kill?" asked Rebekah, looking confused.

Josie just laughed while her friends explained the game to Rebekah and then they played a few rounds until the bell rang.

The next day, Klaus finally got a call from one of Professor Shane's neighbors that the professor had gotten home late the night before, so Klaus, Kol, Josie and a number of hybrids went to Whitmore College that day.

When they got to Professor Shane's office, Josie knocked on the door, but Klaus went straight in, without waiting for an answer. Josie shook her head as she followed Kol and Klaus, while the hybrids waited outside.

"Atticus Shane?" inquired Klaus.

Professor Shane was sitting behind his desk, talking to a girl, presumably a student.

"That's me," said the professor, standing up. "But I'm in a meeting."

The girl turned around and Josie had to suppress a gasp when she saw it was Hayley.

Kol growled impatiently and sped over to Hayley. He leaned down and looked her in the eye, trying to compel her, "Leave."

"Get your hands off me, vampire," said Hayley, standing up and pushing him back.

Kol narrowed his eyes at her and sniffed. "Werewolf."

"That's enough," said Klaus. "I apologize, but we need a few minutes of the professor's time. You'll need to come back later."

"No, wait," said Josie, remembering that Hayley had been working with Professor Shane to unsire Klaus' hybrids so Klaus would kill them as one of the three sacrifices. Was that her goal here? Josie doubted it. No one knew how to unsire hybrids here except for Josie and Klaus.

Josie did remember Hayley had been looking for information about her family and Shane had it.

"Do you know her, love?" asked Klaus.

"I've seen her," Josie responded.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Hayley, frowning.

Klaus sighed. "Perhaps introductions. My name is Klaus. This…"

"Klaus Mikaelson?" cut in Shane. "The Original Hybrid… This is a trip."

"Yes, we're all very impressed Nik managed to be born a bastard," said Kol sarcastically.

Klaus had a sour look on his face, but ignored Kol's comment.

"This is my brother, Kol, and Josie, who is an Oracle."

Hayley frowned. "So when you say you've seen me…"

"I mean I had a vision," confirmed Josie. "I know you're looking for your biological family."

Hayley looked shocked. "Then do you know…"

Josie nodded. "I tell you where to find them. But in exchange you have to promise to never step foot in Virginia again."

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" asked Kol, confused.

"Just trust me," said Josie, squeezing Klaus' arm.

Josie obviously didn't want Hayley trying to unsire any hybrids and helping Shane with his sacrifice. Plus, Hayley had gotten knocked up and been the catalyst for the Originals moving to New Orleans. Josie definitely didn't want either of those things to happen.

She kept meaning to tell Klaus about his ability to have kids with other werewolves, but the time never seemed right. Moreover, she hoped Klaus never found out that Marcel was alive and king of New Orleans. Nothing but bad shit had happened to the Original Family once they moved back there.

Hayley's eyes narrowed. "Why can I never come back to Virginia?"

"That info's not part of the deal," said Josie, shaking her head. "Your family is nowhere near Virginia. I promise."

"You can't trust her," said Shane, clearly worried that Josie was about to give away his bargaining chip with Hayley.

"Shut your mouth, mate," growled Klaus, veins appearing under his eyes.

"Before we shut it for you," added Kol.

Josie smiled. It was clear to everyone that Josie wanted to get rid of Hayley and even though Josie hadn't explained herself, Klaus trusted her and her judgment. It meant the world to her.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" asked Hayley.

"You don't," admitted Josie. "But it is the truth and all I'm asking is you leave. What's he asking you to do?"

Hayley looked at Shane, who had the good sense to look slightly ashamed. It was obvious Shane's request was a lot more nefarious than exile.

"Fine," said Hayley, looking back at Josie. "But if you're lying, I'll come back here and kill you myself."

Klaus' reaction to Hayley's threat was immediate. In an instant, his hand was wrapped around her throat.

"If you even suggest harming her again, I'll personally rip your heart out to have for breakfast," he growled.

"Klaus, stop!" exclaimed Josie, moving forward and tugging on his other arm. "I'm telling the truth, so there's really no need…"

"Honestly, Nik," said Kol, rolling his eyes. "No one's going near your precious little girlfriend."

Klaus scowled at Hayley, who was unable to talk with his tight grip. Finally, after Josie tugged on his arm one more time, he released her.

Hayley coughed, holding her hand to her throat.

"Don't mind him," said Josie, awkwardly. "He's just… Anyway, so…your parents are dead, unfortunately. But your pack isn't. They're the Crescent Clan from New Orleans. They were cursed by a witch around the time you were born, I think, and now they are only human during the full moon and wolves the rest of the month."

Hayley's face fell. "Dead? And cursed?"

Josie nodded. "Sorry, I don't have better news. But you're an Alpha. Your pack is there, in the bayou outside New Orleans. And there's a witch. She lives in the Quarter, I think she's a tour guide. She can help you undo the curse."

Josie remembered it was Celeste who had really cursed the Crescent Clan, but didn't remember the body she had inhabited when the Originals first came to New Orleans. Josie had been in this world for over a year now and a lot of the details were getting difficult to remember.

"You don't know her name?" pressed Hayley.

Josie shook her head "I told you everything I know about finding your pack."

Hayley looked at Professor Shane. It was clear from his expression, he didn't have the information either.

"There may be an alternative," said Klaus. "If your pack became hybrids. They could turn whenever they wish."

"And be sired to you," returned Hayley, eyes narrowed.

If Klaus was surprised by this knowledge, he didn't show it.

"Seems a small price to pay to be free of the curse," he said, shrugging.

Hayley scrutinized Klaus. "Why would you offer that?"

"I built New Orleans, sweetheart," said Klaus, smirking. "The Crescent Clan are a very old, very powerful werewolf pack. I'd be happy to be their Alpha."

Hayley narrowed her eyes, but didn't respond to her offer.

"I'm leaving," she said.

Hayley looked at Klaus, Josie and Kol warily before slipping out the door. Shane looked distraught to see her go, but looking from Kol to Klaus, he kept silent.

"Alone at last," smiled Klaus, turning back to Shane. "I suppose I don't need to explain why we're here."

Shane opened his mouth to protest, but Klaus continued before the professor had a chance to talk.

"Before you waste your breath spewing what no doubt would be an elaborate, if ultimately unsuccessful lie, may I remind you to whom you're speaking." He paused. "I assure you, my reputation is well-deserved."

Josie rolled her eyes. Klaus could be such a drama queen sometimes.

"Look, professor," said Josie. "I had a vision. Several, in fact. I know you want to release Silas, so he can lower the veil between our world and the Other Side. I'm truly sorry about your wife and child, but we can't let you do that. It's a crazy, dangerous plan that will hurt a lot of people. We need to know where Silas' tomb is."

"Compulsion won't work on me," said Shane, stepping back and giving his own little smirk. "A little trick I picked up in Tibet."

"Suppose we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way," smirked Kol, speeding over to Shane's side. "Shall I start with the face?"

"Now, now, Brother," said Klaus, smiling. "The key to negotiations is to go in holding the trump card."

"You know what this is?" asked Josie, pulling a Hand of Glory out of the bag she'd been carrying.

Josie knew they'd need something to get Professor Shane to help them. She remembered that Davina had used some sort of dark object to communicate with Kol after he'd died (again). When Josie mentioned it to Klaus, he knew what she was talking about immediately. He even had one in his possession- one he'd 'acquired' from a witch a few centuries back.

"Oh my god," whispered Shane, looking at the Hand of Glory in amazement. "Where did you get that?"

"It doesn't matter," dismissed Klaus. "If you tell us where Silas is located, it's yours."

"This way you get to see your family again," said Josie. "To say goodbye. I'm sorry, Professor. There's no happy ending here. Even if somehow, Silas is raised, I doubt you'll be alive to see it. When you die, you just die. You don't go to the Other Side."

Shane just looked at her, contemplating her words.

"For the record, I wanted to torture the information out of you," said Kol. "It's been over a century since I've given a good beating… But Josie said something about a carrot and a stick and that you deserved a chance to 'see reason'."

Shane looked at Kol with wide eyes, then back at the Hand of Glory Josie was holding.

"Time's up," said Klaus, speeding over to Shane's side and letting his full hybrid face come out. "I agree, Brother. Let's start with the face."

"With pleasure," returned Kol, flashing to Shane's other side.

"Okay, okay," exclaimed Shane. "I'll tell you where Silas is, in exchange for the Hand of Glory."

"Excellent," smiled Klaus, stepping back.

Shane went over to a bookshelf and pulled out a book. Behind it was a map. Shane showed Klaus, Kol and Josie where the tomb was located on the small island off of Nova Scotia.

"What are you planning to do?" asked Shane as Klaus rolled up the map. "If not to awaken Silas…"

"That's none of your concern," said Klaus. "Now…"

They were interupted by shouting outside the professor's office.

"I need to see the professor now!" came a voice.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" asked Klaus, walking over to the door.

"Sorry, Klaus," said one of the hybrids. "He's insisting on seeing the professor. He staked James."

Josie could just make out the struggling figure in the hallway.

"Let him in," she said, realizing who it was: the other hunter of the Five. The one that had been working with Shane. Connor, maybe?"

The hybrid, Greg, brought Connor forward.

"What do you want?" asked Klaus, eyeing Connor.

"I need to see the professor," said Connor, looking over at Shane. "It just appeared. I don't understand."

"What are you talking…." Josie stopped short. "You mean your tattoo?"

Connor frowned. "How did you…?"

"This is important," said Josie, standing in front of Connor. "Did your tattoo just automatically complete itself?"

"Yes, about an hour ago," said Connor. "Who are you? What's going on, Shane?"

"What is it, love?" asked Klaus, coming to stand beside Josie.

"If his mark just completed, that means Esther's hunter has a complete mark too," said Josie, eyes wide. "She has everything she needs to get the cure."

Klaus' hand tightened on Josie's shoulder. "Then we leave for Nova Scotia immediately."


	59. Race for the Cure (Part Two)

**A/N: Some answers to questions I've gotten:**

 **I picked the name Josie as a reference to J.B. Rhine (Joseph Banks). He's considered the founding father of parapsychology (the study of psychic phenomena). I did a paper on parapsychology for a research class once.**

 **I don't know if other witches will be pissed at Esther for misusing the cure. I get that Qetsiyah wants Silas dead, but I think the majority of other witches would probably prefer ending the entire vampire race, rather than just killing Silas, but that's just my opinion.**

 **Anyway, feel free to ask any questions you want! As long as it doesn't give away future plot (too much anyway), I will try to answer** **. Thanks for all the reviews- I appreciate each and every one!**

Klaus looked at one of the hybrids. "Take the hunter back to Mystic Falls."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," said Connor, trying to throw off the hybrid that had him.

Klaus turned and looked at Connor. "I'm afraid I can't have a stray hunter running around. Once we've stopped Esther, you'll be free to go." He turned to the hybrid. "Don't kill him unless you fancy being cursed."

"You son of a bitch!" shouted Connor, still struggling as the hybrid dragged him away.

"As for you," said Klaus, turning to Shane. "You'll be joining us in Nova Scotia,"

"I gave you the map!" cried Shane, who had another hybrid tightly gripping his arm. "What do you need me for?"

Klaus growled. "You'll find I take very little on faith. I'll believe you're telling the truth when you show us to Silas' tomb."

One more nod from Klaus and Shane was dragged out of his office.

Klaus, Kol and Josie followed behind quickly. Klaus was already on his phone, informing the nearby airfield that the jet he'd had on standby for the past few days needed to begin last minute preparations to leave. Then he called Mason to ensure the dozen hybrids that would be going to Nova Scotia, plus Sage, who might be needed to help with Finn, would meet them at the plane.

Meanwhile, Josie called Bonnie. Given Caroline, Tyler and her mother's life were at stake, she readily agreed to meet them at the airfield.

"We take off in an hour," said Klaus as they climbed into the car. "Myself, Mason, 12 of the pack, Sage and Bonnie."

"I'm coming," said Kol, sliding into the back seat.

"Me too," said Josie, frowning that Klaus hadn't automatically included her.

"Absolutely not," said Klaus, turning to Josie as she buckled herself in. "It's far too dangerous."

"You need me," returned Josie. "What if I have a vision?"

"Then you'll pick up your phone," countered Klaus, pulling into the street.

Josie narrowed her eyes. "And tell you what? That Esther's hiding behind the third tree from the left? It's a remote island, Klaus. There aren't any streets or famous landmarks."

"She's got a point, Nik," said Kol.

"You stay out of this!" growled Klaus.

"You're bringing a small army!" exclaimed Josie, exasperated. "I'll be fine." She reached out and grabbed his hand. "I know you won't let anything hurt me."

Klaus gritted his teeth, but gave a small nod. "Alright."

Josie smiled. "Great, I just need a few minutes to pack some warm clothes."

"No time, love," said Klaus. "Call Alice and have her pick up some things on the way. Mystic Falls is closer to the airfield than we are."

Josie nodded and pulled out her phone. After she got off the phone with Alice, she sat back and called Elena, letting her know that she was leaving.

"You're going to Canada?" exclaimed Elena.

"It shouldn't take long," said Josie. "I'm hoping to be back by tomorrow night."

"What am I supposed to tell Jenna? We're all going over to Alaric's in an hour to help him load the truck."

Josie bit her lip. She forgot today was the day Alaric was moving into the Gilbert House.

"Tell her and Alaric I'm sorry," said Josie.

Elena sighed. "Just come home safe, Jo."

"I will," said Josie, before hanging up.

When they arrived at the airfield, the hybrids were already on the plane. Rebekah and Mason were standing off to the side, clearly in an intense conversation. Elijah was standing near the door of the jet.

"All is ready, Brother," said Elijah. "They wait only for you."

"Good," said Klaus, clapping Elijah on the shoulder. "When I return, we will be free of Mother's wrath at last."

"And I shall keep our home and little sister safe in the meantime," returned Elijah, mimicking Klaus' gesture.

Josie smiled, knowing Elijah probably wanted to go to Nova Scotia, but also knowing it was important to have him here in Mystic Falls. She wouldn't put it past Esther or some other enemy to make a move while they were all in Nova Scotia.

Kol rolled his eyes as he climbed the steps to the plane. "Always and forever dramatic nonsense…"

"There's no need for jealousy," said Klaus.

Kol turned around and smirked. "I heard there's a special club I ought to join… The Mile High Club. Care to enter together, Josie?"

Klaus growled, subtly moving closer to Josie, who rolled her eyes, knowing Kol was just trying to get a rise out of Klaus.

"I already joined with your brother," retorted Josie, putting a suggestive hand on Klaus' arm.

Elijah looked uncomfortable, but Klaus just smirked at Kol. They were all distracted by Rebekah's angry voice that carried across the hangar.

"But why does it have to be you!" exclaimed Rebekah.

Mason sighed, looking over at Klaus, Josie and Elijah. Rebekah just stomped over to them, clearly just noticing they'd arrived for the first time.

"You've got a dozen hybrids on that plane, Nik," said Rebekah. "Why can't Mason stay in Mystic Falls with Elijah and me? I thought the Beta was meant to be in charge whenever the Alpha left."

Klaus raised his eyebrows. "Generally, yes. However, Mason requested to accompany us and I chose to honor that request." He turned to Mason. "You have one minute to say your good-byes."

Klaus nodded once more to Elijah and started climbing the stairs to the plane, followed by Josie.

"I don't understand," said Rebekah, looking confused. "Is your loyalty to him so…"

"It's for you," said Mason. "I want to go so I can protect you."

"I'm hardly helpless," said Rebekah.

"You shouldn't have to face your mother like that," said Mason, softly, cupping Rebekah's cheek. "But I can."

Mason leaned forward and kissed her. Klaus paused, but Josie was right behind him on the stairs and pushed on his butt to keep him moving.

"Stop watching your sister make out," Josie hissed.

Klaus narrowed his eyes, but kept moving.

Josie shook her head and followed Klaus to a row of seats near the middle of the plane, opposite Kol. A minute later, Mason got on and joined them. They talked and planned for the entire ride to Nova Scotia. It was late evening when they arrived at the small airport.

They transferred to a series of chauffeur-driven cars that would take them the rest of the way to a small, remote village that was across the water from the island where Silas' tomb was. Josie laid across the back seat of one of the cars, her head in Klaus' lap. After an hour, she drifted off and was awoken by Klaus several hours later, telling her they'd arrived.

Dawn was just breaking over the trees as the entire group got out of the cars and stretched their legs. Josie shivered and pulled out the warm coat Alice had gotten her. They were very far north and it was really cold, especially compared to Virginia.

Mason had sped into the village to secure boats as the rest of the group got their gear and followed him.

Klaus pulled Josie aside and let the others walk ahead of them.

"Esther may not be after you, but she won't hesitate to destroy those she perceives as threats to her goal. Stay close to me, Josie. I…" He sighed, pulling her into his arms.

"I'll be fine," said Josie, looking up and into his eyes. "I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about you. It's not even my life on the line and I'm terrified."

"I'm flattered, love," said Klaus, running his hands soothingly down her back. "But we will stop her. Together."

"I don't want you to die," she said, feeling her eyes get watery. "Klaus, I…"

Josie breathed in. Could she say it? Those three little words were on the tip of her tongue. Klaus looked at her intensely and reached up to cup her face.

"What is it?"

"I…"

"Boats are ready," said Mason, appearing beside Klaus, before disappearing once again.

Josie sighed, knowing now was probably not the time to tell Klaus she loved him. She'd known she was in love with Klaus ever since she'd learned that Esther had the last white oak stake.

But there was something else. Lucy Bennett had to use Expression to open Silas' tomb. Josie knew from her encounter with the witch in New Orleans that Expression had been used to bring her to this world. Which meant, logically, that it could send her back.

The thought of her family and friends back home didn't bring the stinging pang of longing that it once had, but she had never given up hope of going back. And yet, when she thought of her family and friends here…. Klaus… it was hard to know what she would do if she had to choose.

"May I?" asked Klaus, holding out his arms.

Josie nodded and he bent down, hooking his arms under her knees and back to carry her to the docks. When they appeared, everyone was climbing into the small boats.

Kol looked at Klaus and Josie and snickered. "Practicing for the wedding night, Nik?"

Klaus frowned as everyone looked up at Kol's remark.

"Klaus doesn't need any practice," said Josie, smirking at Kol as Klaus set her down. "But after a century in a box, I'm sure you could do with some."

A few of the nearby hybrids laughed before Kol growled at them to mind their own business.

"We don't have time for this," said Sage with narrowed eyes. "No one in this village remembers Esther and Finn coming through here, but they could have been compelled to forget."

"Or have travelled from one of the other villages along the channel," added Bonnie. "We need to get moving."

Josie hopped into a boat with Mason and a few of the other hybrids, Klaus following her.

When they arrived on the island that held Silas' tomb, they consulted the map to find the best route to the tomb from where they'd landed.

"Looks like the best way would be around this valley and head straight north," said Bonnie.

Shane shook his head. "There's a shortcut through here." He pointed at the southern tip of the valley.

"And you're only mentioning this now because…?" asked Klaus, raising an eyebrow.

Shane shrugged. "I didn't think I'd have to come here in person. Now I just want to get there to get my Hand."

Josie sighed, knowing how much Shane wanted to see his family.

"You and Mason will take point," said Klaus to Shane. "It shouldn't take too long to get there."

Josie frowned. "It looks like a day's walk at least."

"Not at our speed," grinned Kol. "How about it, darling? I'd love to carry my soulmate across the wilderness."

"Too soon, Kol," said Josie, shaking her head, knowing Klaus still hated that Kol and Josie had been drawn together by the soulmate curse.

"Keep your tongue in check before I remove it," growled Klaus.

"Let's focus," said Josie, before Sage could say anything. "If Shane's going with Mason, then Bonnie can go with Sage."

"And you will be with me," finished Klaus.

"Let's go," said Sage. "Before Esther convinces Finn to do something stupid."

Josie kept her eyes closed as she curled into Klaus' chest. She'd always found traveling at vampire speed very disorienting, but she found Klaus' warm presence soothing. They travelled for a while until the hybrid carrying Shane stopped and let the professor down.

"What's the problem?" came Kol's voice from the back of the group.

"That," said Sage, pointing at the large boulder blocking the entrance to the valley as she set Bonnie down.

"That wasn't here the last time I was," said Shane, shaking his head. "That's why I suggested this shortcut."

"And yet the moss appears to be from your grandfather's time," growled Klaus, helping Josie to her feet.

"A witch using Expression could grow a whole forest overnight," countered Shane.

"A little present from your mother?" mused Sage.

"Does it really matter how long the boulder has been here?" asked Josie, rolling her eyes. "Can you move it or not?"

"Of course," said Mason, motioning to the rest of the hybrids.

Together, they were able to move the boulder after a few minutes of pushing. However, when they'd sent the boulder past the entrance to the valley and rolling down the hill, their shouts of victory soon turned to grunts of frustration.

"What the hell?" shouted Mason.

"What's going on?" commanded Klaus, making his way towards his Beta.

"Bloody hell," said Kol, who'd just come up beside Klaus.

Mason, Kol and Klaus had their hands pressed against the entrance to the valley, clearly being stopped by an invisible barrier.

"We'll have to go around then," said Sage, taking off in vampire speed, only to be stopped by another barrier.

It didn't take long to discover that the group was trapped in the middle of a large circle, much like the one Esther had used at the school dance in the original storyline.

"You!" shouted Klaus, looking at Professor Shane with furious eyes.

"I'm sorry," said Shane, quickly stepping across the boundary and out of the group's reach. "Esther promised me she wouldn't stop Silas from awakening if I led you into her trap."

"When did you talk to Esther?" frowned Josie.

Shane had been with the group since leaving Virginia.

"Witches don't need telephones or computers to communicate. She sensed us the minute we stepped foot on the island. Her Bennett witch just needs a little more time to complete the spell to open the tomb." Shane smiled. "Now she has it."

"I'm really going to enjoy tearing your throat out," growled Klaus.

"Once you're all human?" asked Shane. "Esther told me what happens if an Original Vampire takes the cure. All his descendants become human too. I think you all will have other priorities then, especially once Silas lowers the veil."

The hybrids and vampires started banging on the barrier all at once and Shane quickly retreated, heading into the valley and toward Silas' tomb.

Klaus turned to Bonnie. "All boundary spells have a loophole."

"I'll need some time," said Bonnie, nodding.

She went to the barrier and held up her hands, starting to chant.

Josie sighed, looking past the barrier. Since Shane was able to move past the barrier, it was a probable assumption that she could too. No doubt Esther had used a boundary that was for vampires only, to ensure Shane could leave. But what could she do? She was no match for Esther, Finn, Lucy and the Scottish hunter.

She took a sip of water, wondering what to do. Bonnie would get the barrier down eventually, but Josie suspected it would be too late. Especially if Esther was already here.

"No need to panic, love," said Klaus, startling her out of her thoughts by appearing beside her. "The Bennett line is not to be underestimated."

"Right," said Josie.

"Worse case, I leave the island as a mortal."

Josie bit her lip. They'd never really talked about what would happen if his mother succeeded. Josie knew he preferred being a vampire, even if he hadn't been given the choice in the first place.

"Well let's hope we can stop her," said Josie, placing a hand on his chest.

Klaus tilted his head. "You prefer me as a vampire?"

"Who cares what my preference is?" asked Josie, confused. "All that matters is what you want."

"You didn't answer the question," said Klaus, peering into her eyes.

"I only know you as a vampire," returned Josie.

"And if I weren't?"

Josie blinked, realizing what his real question was: would her feelings change if he were no longer a hybrid? No longer strong, fast, powerful?

"Being a vampire doesn't change who you are," said Josie, honestly. "I'm not with you because you're the Original Hybrid."

Klaus smiled, running a hand down her cheek. He bent down to kiss her when Mason called for him.

"Sit tight, love," said Klaus. "Once the barrier's down, I want you to stay here with James and Alice."

Josie nodded, knowing it would be faster for the pack to travel without any human cargo.

She watched Klaus walk away, wondering what would happen if he became mortal? How would he react? Would he still feel the same way about her?

Josie sighed and sat down on a nearby rock, taking out one of the granola bars in her backpack.

She was nearly finished when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye in the forest. To her shock, there, mostly obscured by trees and bushes, were Damon and Stefan.

Josie forced herself to remain calm. 'What are you doing here?' she mouthed.

Damon rolled his eyes and mouthed one word back, 'Map.'

Josie nodded slightly, understanding. They didn't know where Silas' tomb was. She glanced over at Klaus, who was standing near Bonnie talking with Mason, looking the other way.

She didn't know how he would react to the Salvatores being here. She knew he would be furious at what she was about to do, but they didn't have time to debate the best course of action. Damon and Stefan were their best hope and they needed her to lead them to the tomb.

As quietly as she could, she stood up and grabbed her backpack. She casually walked over to where the barrier disappeared behind a large bush.

"Where are you going?" came a voice from behind her.

"Kol," said Josie, whirling around and trying to keep her heart beat steady. "Just going to the little girls' room."

"With your pack?" he questioned, eyebrow raised.

Josie smiled nervously, trying to think of an excuse, but Kol's eyes flickered at movement behind her and when she turned, she saw Damon ducking behind a bush. She turned back to Kol with pleading eyes, knowing Kol must have seen Damon.

"They need directions," she said in a low voice. "I'm the only one that can leave."

Kol looked back at Klaus. He sighed, turning back to Josie.

"Go. Now," said Kol, speeding over to Klaus, presumably to distract him.

Josie didn't hesitate, she quickly walked to the bush and went behind it, stepping over the barrier a second later. As quietly as she could, she made her way over to where she'd seen Damon and Stefan.

She stumbled slightly over a tree root and fell, only to be caught by a pair of strong arms.

"I see your coordination hasn't improved," said Damon, giving her his trademark smirk as he righted her.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you two!" exclaimed Josie, giving him a brief hug. "What are you doing here? Do you know…?"

"That Esther is planning on feeding Finn the immortality cure and killing all vampires?" finished Stefan.

"A friend of a friend told us Esther had been by to see her," supplied Damon.

"A friend, Damon? I didn't realize we were so close."

Josie whirled around to see Katherine behind her.

"I think he meant me."

Josie turned again to see Lexi standing beside Stefan.

"Lexi!" exclaimed Josie. "How are you?"

The last time Josie had seen Lexi, Klaus had flipped her humanity switch to stop her from trying to save Stefan.

"I'm me," said Lexi, smiling. "My boyfriend, Lee, found me and got me to flip my switch back."

"That's great," said Josie. "I'm sorry about that…"

Lexi shook her head. "Klaus probably would have killed me until you talked him out of it. Sounds like you did the same for these guys."

Josie shrugged. "Klaus can sometimes be reasonable."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "The Klaus I knew couldn't be so distracted by a pretty face."

Josie frowned, trying to work out if that was a compliment or an insult.

"We don't have time for this," said Stefan. "Where's the tomb?"

Josie closed her eyes, picturing the map in her head.

"North of here" she answered. "There's a row of trees, I think. I need to see them. Let's get around this valley first."

"Let's go then," said Lexi.

"You're with me, Princess," said Damon, stooping to pick Josie up. "Just don't tell your boyfriend."

Josie rolled her eyes and smiled as Damon took off in vampire speed. She closed her eyes and sent up a silent prayer they weren't too late.

 **A/N: As always, let me know what you think! I missed those Salvatore boys and of course Katherine would want to get in on the fun. I hope you enjoyed some of the Josie/Klaus moments this chapter as well as Mason/Rebekah and silly Kol. I always liked mischievous Kol and I think the whole Kol/Josie 'soulmate' thing would be a running joke to him, much to Klaus' dismay.**


	60. Race for the Cure (Part Three)

**A/N: A few answers:**

 **The reason for Josie's coming to this universe will be revealed in the next few chapters.**

 **I agree the werewolf origin story was kinda whack in TO. I'm not sure how much I'll explore that, but as you can tell from this story, I definitely like Klaus' werewolf side like to explore it more than they ever really did in the show (which is sad, 'cause I think it could have been a really interesting thing for his character- the werewolves seem to have a culture in the way vampires never did).**

 **Freya is one of my favorite characters and I am hoping to include her. Dahlia is a maybe- it depends on whether or not Klaus knocks someone up (TBD).**

A while later, Josie, Lexi, Katherine and the Salvatores arrived near the entrance to the cave where Silas' tomb was located. The entrance was stuck in the side of the cliff, and as far as they could tell, completely empty.

"Don't forget," said Josie quietly, as they all crouched behind a large bush. "Lucy is Bonnie's cousin, Finn is linked to all his siblings and the hunter will curse you if you kill him."

"We know," said Damon, rolling his eyes.

"Incapacitate, not kill," nodded Lexi.

"Except the Original Witch bitch," said Katherine, with narrowed eyes.

Josie frowned. "What do you have against Esther?"

"She created the fucking Hybrid Curse in the first place," spat Katherine. "That curse ruined my life."

"Fair enough," said Josie, looking back at the entrance. "She's the one who made it require three sacrifices to break."

"Exactly," said Katherine, lips pursed. "What other curse have you heard of that needed three people to die to break it?"

Josie had never really thought about that before. Esther (and Mikael) had gone through all that trouble just so they could lock Klaus' wolf side away.

"Not that I'm a fan of Esther 'let's-kill-all-the-vampires' Mikaelson, but I think Klaus is the one who ruined your life," said Damon, shaking his head.

"There's plenty of blame to go around," argued Josie.

"I still can't believe you're dating him," said Damon, shaking his head.

"Says the guy who's slept with all the women here," said Josie, rolling her eyes.

Stefan looked confused and turned to Lexi. "You slept with Damon?"

"Shit, sorry," said Josie, giving Lexi an apologetic look. "I figured… uh…"

"It was just one time," said Lexi, looking a little uncomfortable under Stefan's disapproving gaze.

"When she was trying to get me to flip my switch," smirked Damon. "Nearly worked, but I'm not that easy."

Josie laughed. "You're plenty easy, Damon."

"I'd have to agree," said Katherine, smirking.

"I think we should move," said Stefan, clenching his jaw and turning back toward the cave entrance. "There hasn't been any movement or sounds since we got here."

"They must be further inside," agreed Lexi, clearly happy to get off the topic of Damon and her having sex.

They walked quietly to the cave entrance and slowly crept inside. They arrived at an opening in the floor. A rope hung that enabled the humans to get in and out of the cave below, where the entrance to the tomb was. They all knelt down, peering over the edge to the cavern below.

Finn, Esther and Professor Shane were standing to the side, while Lucy chanted quietly, touching the shirtless hunter's mark. Air swirled all around the group below, which explained why Finn wasn't able to hear them.

"She's opening the tomb," whispered Josie. "We can't let her finish."

"We need to take out Suicide Boy first," Damon whispered back.

Everyone nodded. As the only vampire and an Original, Finn was the biggest threat down there.

Katherine carefully removed the crossbow from her back and aimed it at Finn. She let the arrow fly, but Finn was faster than they gave him credit for, because he caught the arrow in midair.

Time seemed to stand still for a second until Katherine, Lexi and the Salvatores jumped into the cavern, landing on their feet and facing Finn and Esther together.

Josie grabbed the rope and slowly climbed down as she watched the scene before her.

"Don't come any closer!" warned Esther, holding her hand up.

"Something tells me if you could drop all of us, you would have done it by now," smirked Damon, speeding over to her, only to be stopped by Finn.

"Stay away from her!" exclaimed Finn, snapping Damon's neck and throwing him aside.

"We can't do that," said Stefan, as he, Katherine and Lexi circled him.

The entire cavern started to rumble and shake, as if there were an earthquake. Josie held onto the rope for dear life as she swayed. Large rocks began to fall, shaken loose by the power of Lucy's Expression magic.

"Your bitch mother needs to die," said Katherine, stepping to the right to dodge a falling rock.

At her words, Finn attacked. He blurred over to Stefan and snapped his neck, but Lexi managed to stab Finn in his side with a stake that made him step back a few paces. Finn pulled the stake out, but was forced to move to the left to avoid another falling rock. He turned his eyes on Lexi only to be distracted by a sight behind her.

Josie followed Finn's shocked eyes and saw Katherine standing before Esther. Katherine had her hand in Esther's chest.

"Greetings," said Katherine with an evil smile. Then she yanked her hand out, holding Esther's still-beating heart for all to see. "From the Petrova family."

"No!" screamed Finn, his face in agony as Esther's body fell to the ground.

He sped over to Katherine, hand outstretched to remove her heart, but just as his hand plunged into Katherine's chest, Lexi came behind him and thrust the stake into Finn's heart. He immediately dropped, going gray and veiny.

Josie managed to make it to the floor of the cavern and came running over, the shaking finally stopping.

"You guys okay?" she asked Lexi and Katherine.

Katherine smirked as she looked down at Finn, Stefan and Damon. "Only the girls left standing."

"Naturally," smiled Josie. Then she frowned. "Where are Shane, Lucy and the hunter?"

"The tomb," said Lexi, eyes wide. "It's open."

All three women turned and looked at the entrance to the tomb. Lexi and Katherine immediately took off in vampire speed, Josie running after them. A minute later, she arrived at the small cavern where Silas lie sleeping.

Shane was slumped over Silas, who had him in a firm grip, draining the life out of him. The hunter was there too, pressing Shane into Silas.

"Stay back!" shouted Lucy, her hand held aloft.

Katherine and Lexi were on their knees, obviously being given awful aneurysms by the witch.

"Lucy, you don't want to do this," said Josie. "We're talking about thousands of lives."

"Vampires," said Lucy, in disgust. "I've spent my whole life being dragged into their business. Now, we can end it. One dose and all the vampires will be mortal. And witches will once again be the most powerful creatures on the planet."

"I'd think I'd rather stay a vampire if it's all the same," came a voice from behind Josie.

Josie turned around and saw Mason standing there.

Lucy simply looked at him and soon, Mason was on his knees as well.

"Me too," said Klaus, who had just appeared behind Lucy.

Before Lucy could blink, Klaus picked her up and tossed her into the wall. Lucy responded by sending Klaus into the opposite wall with impressive force, causing the cavern to shudder violently. Mason, Katherine and Lexi were on their feet in an instant, but Lucy managed to repel them as well and the impact their bodies made on the cave wall caused a number of rocks to fall.

"Get her out of here!" commanded Klaus, taking a rock and hurling it in Lucy's direction.

Mason came to grab Josie, but she pushed on him and pointed to the hunter and Shane. Silas was still stone-like, but she could see some of the color returning to his limbs.

"We have to stop them!" Josie yelled as the ground continued to shake. "He's waking up!"

"I'll get him!" Katherine shouted.

Katherine turned towards Silas, but was immediately crushed by a giant rocked that fell on her.

"Katherine!" exclaimed Lexi, trying to push the rock off her.

There was a groan of pain and Josie saw the trapped figures of Mason and Klaus, who were being held against the cave wall by Lucy.

"What have you done?" asked Lucy, warily eyeing the falling rocks around them.

"This is your own doing, witch!" said Klaus, struggling against the invisible bonds that pinned him to the wall.

"Silas is dangerous!" added Mason. "He…"

"Silas will never leave this tomb," shouted Lucy. "And after I have the cure, neither will you."

"Big talk for one little witch," came Kol's voice.

Josie turned and saw Kol, accompanied by six hybrids. Lucy used her magic to toss back as many of them as she could, but the resulting impact caused the cavern to shake even more.

"We have to get out of here!" shouted Lexi, grabbing Josie's hand.

"I won't leave him!" said Josie, trying to see Klaus through the falling debris.

There was a loud boom that resounded around the cavern and a loud scream. Then a number of people shouted all at once.

The next thing Josie knew, she had been picked up and cradled against a strong chest, traveling out of the tomb at vampire speed. When the world stopped spinning, Josie looked up and saw Klaus staring down at her, worry lining his face.

"What happened?" asked Josie. "Where is everyone? Where…?"

There was another loud boom and Klaus turned towards the cave entrance. Josie saw Lucy holding her hand towards the entrance of Silas' tomb, chanting.

"What is she doing?" shouted Lexi, who appeared next to Josie and Klaus, supporting an unconscious Katherine.

"She's sealing the tomb!" yelled Bonnie, who seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Where's Kol?" asked Josie. "And Mason and the rest?"

There was coughing to the left of Josie and she saw Kol and Mason, standing beside the hunter, who was coughing, hunched over near Finn, Stefan and Damon's still-unconscious bodies. Looking around, everyone except Shane seemed to be accounted for, including Sage and all the hybrids.

Klaus held Josie tight against him until Lucy's chanting and the shaking finally stopped, the entrance to the cave buried under an enormous pile of rock. Josie let out a sigh of relief, knowing Silas and the cure were buried under all that rubble. Shane must be there too.

Klaus let Josie down only to storm forward and encircle Lucy's neck in a tight grip.

"Give me one good reason not to kill you, witch," growled Klaus.

"Klaus!" shouted Bonnie. "Lucy is my cousin."

"She just buried the cure and Silas," said Josie, shaking her head. "It's over."

"I could snap your neck before you take your next breath," said Lucy, raising her hand to Klaus.

"You can't take on all of us," said Mason.

All the hybrids, plus Sage and Kol, stepped forward. Lucy's eyes hardened, though she seemed to understand that even with the power of Expression, it was too many to take on at once.

"Lucy, please," said Bonnie.

"How can you ally yourself with these creatures?" spat Lucy.

"You were going to awaken Silas," said Bonnie, shaking her head. "And… they turned my mom. My best friend is a vampire. With the sirelines, it's too risky to feed the cure to an Original."

"Abby's a vampire?" breathed Lucy.

Bonnie nodded.

Lucy sighed, raising her hands in defeat. "Guess it doesn't matter anyway. The cure is gone."

"And the white oak stake?" pressed Klaus.

"It's not here," said Lucy.

"And where is it?" growled Klaus, tightening his grip.

"Somewhere safe. I can show you. Believe I don't want Abby dead."

"You traitor," came a voice from the side of the cavern. "Mother trusted you."

There, to Josie's shock, was Finn. And in his hand, placed against his lips, was the cure. Looking down, the hunter was lying unconscious near Finn's feet, the box that held the cure askew. Clearly, the hunter must have been able to pry the cure from Silas' hands just before they all escaped the tomb.

Josie blinked, looking back at Finn. He was at least twenty feet away from the nearest vampire. Far too long a distance to separate him from the cure.

"Finn!" Sage's voice rang out. "Please, don't!"

"Sage?" frowned Finn, eyes finding her in the crowd of hybrids. "You're… here? Alive?"

"Yes," smiled Sage, coming forward. "I'm here… For you."

Finn looked surprised. "After 900 years…"

"I never stopped loving you," finished Sage. "We can be together again… But you have to put that down."

Finn tilted his head. "Yes. Together… As humans."

Then he took the cure and drank it before anyone could stop him. The effect was instantaneous. Finn fell to his knees, groaning. Sage rushed to his side, trying to prop him up.

Josie gasped. "Oh my god." She rushed over to Klaus, who had released Lucy. "Klaus," she stammered, eyes watering. "I'm so… I'm so…"

"Hush, love," said Klaus, wrapping an arm around her. 'It's alright."

Josie frowned, pulling back to look at him. "How are you so calm? What…"

Klaus tilted his head towards a corner of the cavern. There, surrounded by a ring of small candles, were five separate pools of blood. Josie let out a giant sigh of relief.

"You sneaky hybrid," said Josie, reaching up to kiss his jaw. "That's why Kol was late to the party."

Kol must have been helping Bonnie with the unlinking spell while Klaus and Mason fought Lucy inside the tomb.

"You think I'd miss the opportunity to unlink us with Finn lying there unconscious?" asked Klaus.

Josie smiled, remembering Klaus had insisted they bring a sample of all the siblings' blood, just in case. As always, Klaus had been one step ahead. Josie had never been more grateful for that.

"Get your damn hands off me!" a female voice exclaimed.

"Excuse me, love," said Klaus, releasing Josie. "Some business to attend to."

Josie frowned as two hybrids stepped forward, pulling Katherine in their grasp. Josie looked behind them and saw Stefan and Damon were in a similar predicament, as was Lexi.

"Let the blonde go," said Klaus, smiling in Lexi's direction. "Good to see you again, love."

Lexi gave Klaus a small smile. She clearly did not remember their brief time together in that Tennessee bar as fondly as he did.

"Now as for you," Klaus looked at Katherine and the Salvatores.

"We saved your ass," said Damon. "I'm sure Esther's heart is around here somewhere. Stef, did you remember to pack the silver platter?"

Josie smiled, remembering the conditions on which Klaus had set the Salvatore's freedom.

Klaus narrowed his eyes, clearly not happy that the Salvatores had actually accomplished the task he'd set forth.

"I pulled out that bitch's heart," growled Katherine. "While you two were drooling on the cave floor."

"It's true," confirmed Josie. "Damon and Stefan helped, but Katherine was the one who yanked out your mother's heart."

"Ten points to the doppelganger," said Kol, looking impressed.

"Ten points?" frowned Damon.

"They saved the entire vampire species, including your whole family," said Josie, hands on her hips.

"Fine," said Kol, shrugging. "Twenty points."

"How about a pardon?" asked Stefan, seriously.

Klaus growled, clearly wavering on what to do. He longed for revenge on Katherine and the Salvatores, but was aware of how the fairness of his actions would be perceived by his pack, and, possibly, by Josie.

"Given your actions, I will wipe the slate clean," said Klaus, flashing in front of Katherine and the Salvatores. "However, any future actions against me and mine will be met with retribution so swift, you'll wish you'd never been born."

The implication was clear- Klaus was willing to let them go, but if they became enemies again, he would show them no mercy.

Katherine, Stefan and Damon quickly nodded.

A groan coming from Finn distracted Klaus and he went to go check on his brother.

Josie moved toward Katherine, Stefan and Damon and they were soon joined by Lexi.

"Freedom, huh?" said Josie, smiling at them.

"I don't even remember what that feels like," said Katherine, shaking her head. "I've been running for so long."

"What about you two?" asked Josie, turning to the brothers. "Back to Mystic Falls?"

"Hopefully Alaric's been feeding the fish," joked Damon.

"I have to admit, Mystic Falls was not the same without you," said Josie, smiling.

"Told you she missed us," smirked Damon.

"I said nothing of the sort!" exclaimed Josie in mock protest.

Another groan came from the side of the cavern, where Sage was apparently turning human.

"Do you guys know anyone from Finn's sireline?" asked Josie, biting her lip.

"It's not something that usually comes up," said Lexi, shrugging. "I don't even know whose sireline I'm in."

"Elijah's," answered Josie. "Katherine's in Klaus'. Abby's in Kol's."

"What do you have a spreadsheet or something?" teased Damon.

Everyone smiled.

"It's a flow chart, actually," said Josie, smiling and elbowing Damon.

She had missed him. Stefan too, but Damon was a fun guy. When he wasn't trying to destroy the Originals, of course.

"We should go," said Katherine, glancing over at Klaus.

Clearly, even though Klaus had agreed to let his revenge go, Katherine didn't want to stick around. Josie couldn't blame her for that.

"Okay," said Josie. "I'll see you guys in Mystic Falls?"

"I'm headed back to New York," said Lexi.

"I'm not sure where I'll go," answered Katherine.

"Well, it was good seeing you both," said Josie, pulling in Lexi and then Katherine (however reluctantly) for a hug.

Josie watched as Lexi, Katherine and the Salvatores flashed out of the cave.

"Feeling alright?" asked Kol, appearing in front of Josie.

Josie nodded. "I'm fine. A few bruises, but I'll live."

She looked over at Klaus, who was speaking with Mason and gesturing toward the now-human Finn and Sage.

"Did you find out where the white oak is?" she asked.

"In a manner of speaking," said Kol. "According to Lucy and Finn, it's with a… friend."

Josie frowned. "What?"

Kol tilted his head. "Mother entrusted it to someone. A witch. They never learned her name, but Lucy claims she can lure this witch back to Mystic Falls with the stake."

"So back to Mystic Falls, huh?"

"My offer to carry you still stands, my darling soulmate," said Kol, smiling cheekily.

Klaus was by her side in an instant.

"You need to keep an eye on Finn and the witch," growled Klaus.

"And where are you going?" asked Kol, eyebrow raised.

"Josie and I need to have a word," said Klaus, darkly. "We'll meet you at the boats."

"A word?" Josie repeated, a little concerned at his irritated tone. "I…"

She didn't get to finish her sentence as Klaus picked her up and sped her away- out of the cave and into the surrounding forest. When they were some distance away, Klaus stopped and put her down.

"What did you want to..." Josie began.

"What the bloody hell were you thinking?" Klaus cut in. "Running off as you did? You could have been killed, you…"

"I would have just come back!" Josie huffed, pointing to her magical necklace.

Klaus growled. "I gave you that to protect you, not so you could play hero when it suits your fancy!"

"I did what I had to do! If I hadn't led them to the tomb, no doubt Finn would have taken the cure while you were still linked and you all would be human by now! Is that what you want?"

"What I want is for you to do as you're told!" growled Klaus.

"Screw you! I'm not one of your minions that exists to do your bidding. You can't control me. I don't belong to you."

Klaus sped forward and Josie found herself trapped between him and a large tree, his face hovering over hers.

"You are mine!" he said, though his voice had lost some of its anger. "You understand? Mine! Mine to protect… Mine to care for." He sighed. "I don't wish to control you… But I will never apologize for wanting you safe."

Josie sighed, closing her eyes against the almost-tender tone of his voice.

"And I appreciate that," she said, opening her eyes. "I'm sorry I worried you, and it's not like I want to get hurt, but I'm always going to be the girl that leaves the barrier and tries to save the people I care about. The people I love."

She stared directly into his eyes as she said the last statement.

Klaus' face was a mixture of confusion and surprise. "The people…"

"I love," finished Josie. She smiled slightly. Given that she had almost lost him, her confession didn't seem so scary anymore. "I wanted to tell you before… I love you, Klaus. But this isn't going to work if you can't accept me for who I am and respect the choices I make. Even if they put me in danger."

Klaus' face was unreadable. He just stared at her for a few seconds, searching her face for something. Finally he sighed, resting his forehead against hers.

"My reckless, impulsive Oracle…" He pulled back, staring into her eyes and cupping her face. "I do love you, Josie. Everything that you are, I love. But I will never stop trying to protect you."

Josie smiled widely. He'd said it. She almost couldn't believe it.

"Think how boring protecting me would be if my life were never in danger," she said, smirking.

Klaus growled and picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist and pushing her into the tree.

"Then I suppose life with you will never be boring," he said, before capturing her lips in a searing kiss.

 **A/N: They finally said their 'I love yous'! I hope it felt natural (I think it was always going to be Josie who went first, unless she was about to die or something).**

 **Anyway, let me know what you thought about Josie/Klaus, the final showdown and how it all ended, especially with Salvatores/Kat's pardon and Finn. I was never a huge Finn fan, but the few scenes he had with Sage were a glimpse into how he wasn't actually an awful person, just someone who should never have been a vampire and who was twisted and manipulated by his mother. Now to get the stake…**


	61. Which Witch

**A/N: Some answers:**

 **Finn and Sage might pop in later, not sure. But for now, they will be exiting the story shortly.**

 **I'm still on the fence about whether or not to take this story to New Orleans. Rest assured, if the Originals do go there, Josie will be going as well.**

 **Also, apologies for the length of this one. Next one should be more in the normal range.**

Klaus' hands travelled south, cupping her butt to grind his hardening erection into her spread legs as her back was flush against the tree. When he reached back up to unzip her jacket, Josie batted his hands away.

"It's cold, Klaus," she said, breaking away from his lips. "It's November... In Canada."

"I'll keep you warm, my love," he murmured, kissing her jaw.

"Hmm… But…"

"Josie…" Klaus whispered. "Please…"

He trailed off, sucking the soft skin of her neck.

Josie sighed. Klaus never said please. She lifted his head, looking into his eyes. This was why she could never say no to him. This… look. The one that made her feel like she was the only person in the world. How could she deny him now that he'd said those three little words she'd desperately wanted to hear?

"My insatiable wolf," she sighed, raking her hands through his hair.

"Hmm… my enchanting Oracle," he returned, pulling her in for another kiss.

He kissed her for another minute before pulling back.

"Hold on, love," he said.

Josie blinked. Her pants were gone and she moaned as Klaus was slowly sinking into her. He held her fast against the tree while he moved in and out of her, lips firmly attached to her neck.

His name was a chant on her lips as he moved, reaching one hand between them to rub her clit.

"Hmm… my love," he whispered in her ear. "You. Are. Mine."

He punctuated each word with a thrust of his hips.

"Yes," she breathed. "Yours."

He growled low in his throat and she found herself flipped around, facing the tree as he slammed into her from behind. He held her hip firm with one hand while fingering her with the other. His breath was hot on the back of her neck as he nuzzled the place where he'd marked her previously.

She screamed as she convulsed around him and she felt the telltale pinch at the back of her neck, knowing he'd given her a fresh bite mark.

He stiffened a second later, cursing as he found his own release.

She was panting as he pulled her back, flush against him, kissing her neck. After a few more seconds, she turned around, wrapping her hands around his neck, still overjoyed by his confession.

"I love you," she said, smiling widely.

"I love you too," he returned, running his hands down her back. "I am sorry, love, but we can't linger."

A minute later, they were both dressed and Klaus had Josie in his arms, running through the forest at vampire speed. Some time later, they arrived at the shore of the island.

"Glad to hear you two made up," smirked Kol, who was climbing into one of the boats with a few of the hybrids.

"Where did you hear that fr….?" Josie trailed off, realizing what Kol meant. Damn vampire hearing. "You pervert!"

Klaus just set Josie on her feet, clearly unconcerned that all the vampires and hybrids had heard them having sex in the forest. Of course he didn't mind, probably more territorial wolf stuff.

James, the resident werewolf-cultural expert of the hybrid pack, had once told Josie that ancient werewolf mating ceremonies often involved the man 'claiming' his mate as part of the ritual. So weird, she thought with a roll of her eyes. As if the bite mark wasn't enough…

"Come along, love," said Klaus, shaking Josie out of her thoughts.

He led her to the boat where Finn and Sage sat quietly holding hands.

"How are you feeling?" asked Josie, as she sat down on one of the seats.

"Cold," said Sage, frowning a bit. "And hungry."

Josie smiled, knowing being human must be odd for someone who'd lived for a thousand years as a vampire. It was probably less strange for Finn, as his time as a vampire was considerably shorter, due to all the years he'd spent daggered.

"Here," said Josie, pulling out two granola bars from her bag. "I'm sure we can get more once we arrive on the mainland."

Klaus looked at his brother and Sage, but didn't say anything. He was probably still upset that Finn had plotted against him and tried to turn them all human, but what was there to do about it now? Finn was human, Esther was dead and their plan had ultimately failed.

They crossed the channel in silence. When they arrived at the small village, the fleet of cars was still waiting for them, ready to take the group back to the airfield they'd arrived at the previous day.

Klaus was happy to let the hunter go, but insisted Lucy accompany the group back to Mystic Falls.

"Once I have the white oak stake in my hand, you'll be free to go," said Klaus in a warning tone. "Not a moment before."

Lucy just shrugged. "It's fine. I wouldn't mind catching up with Abby and Bonnie."

Bonnie smiled. "I'm sure my mom would be happy to see you."

"We won't be going," said Finn. "Lucy can contact the witch who has the stake. Mother never shared her identity with me and I didn't ask. I simply wish to be left in peace."

Klaus looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"It's the least you can do after keeping him in a box for almost a thousand years!" exclaimed Sage, grabbing Finn's hand.

Josie bit her lip, not wanting to get in the middle of this one.

"Go," growled Klaus, finally. "Get out of my sight. Consider this the one time I will acknowledge the familial bond we share and not retaliate for your plots against me."

Finn and Sage took off immediately, not bothering to say good-bye to any of the group.

Josie took Klaus' hand and squeezed it as they climbed into the back of one of the cars.

"Thank you," she said as the car pulled away from the village.

Besides the driver in the front seat, they were alone.

"For?" asked Klaus, eyebrow raised.

"For the Salvatores," said Josie. "And Katherine."

"I meant what I said, love," said Klaus. "If they cross me again, I will drive a stake through their hearts."

Josie nodded. "I know."

"And yet you still wish to be with me?" asked Klaus, quietly. "Still…"

"Love you?" finished Josie.

She smiled and linked her fingers with his.

"You can't choose who you fall in love with," said Josie, seriously. "And I know what it took for you to let them go. Let Finn go."

She reached up and pulled him in for a kiss, before leaning into him and pulling out her phone. Now that she had some signal, she dialed Elena to let her know she'd be home that night.

When they landed at the airfield in Mystic Falls, Rebekah was there and jumped immediately into Mason's arms.

Though Klaus looked over at Rebekah and Mason and his gaze temporarily darkened, when Josie squeezed his hand, he looked down at her and didn't look back at his sister and his Beta embracing. Josie knew that Klaus' jealousy over Rebekah was his fear that she would love someone else more than him, but maybe now that Josie and Klaus had been honest about their feelings, he would lay off Rebekah, at least a little.

When they got to the Mikaelson house, the hybrids took their leave, but Klaus gathered his siblings, plus Lucy, Bonnie and Josie to talk about the white oak stake.

"So the plan is you," Rebekah pointed to Lucy, "the witch that tried to kill us all, are going to get some other witch to bring the white oak stake to Mystic Falls?"

"I didn't want to kill all the vampires," said Lucy, shaking her head. "I wanted to cure you."

"But the cure is definitely gone?" asked Rebekah, still not happy that Finn had gotten it and she hadn't.

"It's currently running through our dear brother's veins," responded Klaus. "So unless you'd like to extract it from him… yes, it is gone."

Rebekah looked incredibly disappointed and no one seemed to know what to say.

Elijah cleared his throat to break up the awkward moment.

"I'm sure you all must be tired," he said graciously.

"Yes," said Klaus. He turned to Lucy. "I'll have someone show you to your room."

Bonnie scoffed. "She's not staying here with all of you."

Klaus growled. "She'll do just that. She's our one connection to the last white oak stake. As I said before, once it's in my hand, you'll be free to go."

"It's okay," said Lucy, putting a gentle hand on Bonnie. "It's only for a few days. I got a text back saying the witch will be here the day after tomorrow."

After Lucy had gone to her room, Bonnie had left and Rebekah had mysteriously disappeared (most likely to find Mason), Klaus, Elijah, Kol, and Josie remained in the living room.

"Well, I should go," said Josie, checking her watch. "If I hurry, I can make Sunday family dinner."

Klaus' phone beeped and he sighed.

"I need to take this," he said. "Werewolf pack lead." He answered the phone. "Hold on a minute," he told the caller.

"I can take Josie home," smiled Kol flirtatiously. "I was going to head into town anyway. I fancy a drink."

"I do want her to arrive in one piece," said Klaus, eyes narrowed in Kol's direction.

"I can drive her," Elijah cut in. "I don't mind."

"Great," said Josie, rolling her eyes at the staring contest between Kol and Klaus. "Let's go."

She grabbed her bag and followed Elijah out to a car.

"Thanks for driving me, Elijah," she said as they pulled out of the Mikaelsons' driveway. "Klaus is still weirded out about the whole Kol/soulmate thing. Kol's comments don't help."

Elijah sighed. "Kol and Niklaus have always been at odds. Even when we were human. They are, perhaps, too similar."

Josie bit her lip. "I guess… I just don't understand why it bothers him so much. Nothing happened between Kol and me. Nothing would ever happen."

It sometimes felt like Klaus didn't trust her.

"I wouldn't worry too much, my dear," said Elijah. "Affairs of the heart are seldom rational and it has been nearly a millennium since Niklaus opened his heart to anyone. I assure you, his attitude toward you and Kol has very little to do with you."

Josie smiled. She had missed Elijah. He'd been away most of the last month, searching for his mother.

"You're probably right," said Josie. "Anyway… you know everything that happened on that awful island. Anything interesting happen in Mystic Falls while we were away?"

"You were gone for a mere two days," said Elijah, shaking his head.

"That can be a long time in Mystic Falls," argued Josie good-naturedly.

Elijah smiled. "Touché. But all was quiet here… Jenna believes she is coming down with something, so perhaps some extra precautions are advised."

Josie frowned. "How do you know Jenna's getting sick?"

"At Jeremy's request, I joined your family and Mr. Saltzman's training session this morning. He wished to try some tactics with a real wooden stake and wanted a vampire who wouldn't be killed by one."

"So how'd it go?"

"Jeremy is much improved since the last time I sparred with him," said Elijah. "Alaric is always a formidable opponent and Jenna is… adequate with a stake, but perhaps the biggest surprise was Elena."

"Oh?"

"She is quite a skilled fighter, considering her experience and training," said Elijah. "And she has quite the… knack for improvisation."

"Sounds like you had fun," mused Josie.

Elijah smiled. "I did indeed."

He slowed the car as the Gilbert House came into view.

"Thanks for the ride, Elijah," said Josie. "It was good to see you. You free for dinner sometime this week?"

Elijah nodded. "Thursday?"

"Sure," said Josie, stepping out of the car. "I've been wanting to try that new Italian place in town."

"See you there at six."

"Great," she said, closing the door.

Elijah drove off and she headed inside. She'd just finished putting her things away when Jeremy and Elena came into her room.

"Jo!" exclaimed Elena, enveloping Josie in a hug.

"Hey you guys," smiled Josie, giving Jeremy a hug as well.

"Well?" asked Jeremy, plopping down on Josie's bed. "Tell us everything. What happened up there?"

And Josie proceeded to tell them everything- Shane, Silas, the cure, Finn, the Salvatores, etc.

"I heard from Stefan and Damon this afternoon," said Elena who was lounging in Josie's armchair. "Their flight should be here soon."

"Oh," said Josie. "I would have thought they'd beat us back."

Elena smiled. "I think they flew commercial."

Josie returned the smile. "Right. I think Klaus is allergic to normal people experiences."

"So what happened next?" asked Jeremy, not interested in discussing the Salvatores or Klaus. "Isn't the white oak stake still out there?"

Josie nodded and told them the plan for the white oak.

"And you have no idea who this witch could be?" asked Jeremy.

Josie shook her head. She knew why Jeremy was anxious- if Klaus was killed using the white oak stake, Anna would die as well.

"I'm sure Lucy is going to help get the stake back," said Elena. "Abby is a vampire now."

Josie nodded. "She's right, Jer. Try not to worry."

"So you're not worried at all about Klaus?" asked Jeremy.

"Of course I am," answered Josie. "When I first had that vision of Esther with the stake, I was terrified."

So terrified, she'd realized her true feelings about Klaus. Which ended up being a good thing because now she knew he loved her too.

"If you were so terrified, why are you smiling?" asked Jeremy.

"Am I?" asked Josie, realizing that she was.

"Spill, Jo," said Elena. "What happened?"

Josie smiled widely. "I told Klaus I loved him. And he said it back."

"That's awesome!" said Jeremy. "I'm happy for you."

"Dinner!" came a shout up the stairs.

"Jenna ordered Thai," said Jeremy, jumping off Josie's bed.

"Yum," said Josie. "I hope she got spring rolls."

"Me too," said Elena, following her siblings down the stairs.

Dinner was fun. It had been a while since they'd all had dinner together as the weekend before Josie had been in Belize with Klaus.

"Sorry I wasn't here to help with the move," said Josie as they sat back after eating. "Did everything go smoothly?"

Alaric nodded. "We managed to get everything here."

Jenna scoffed and eyed the numerous boxes scattered around the house with some measure of annoyance.

"What?" asked Josie, frowning at Jenna's sour expression.

Alaric shook his head. "Some people don't understand classic music."

"I understand music just fine," said Jenna, taking a sip of water. "What I don't understand is why you feel the need to listen to it like you're a grandmother."

"Vinyl is back in, Aunt Jenna," said Jeremy, laughing.

"Retro is a thing," agreed Elena.

"Really?" asked Jenna, sarcastically. "Is having over 500 vinyl records clogging up the living room a thing too?"

Josie had to suppress a giggle.

"I told you I'm going to build a shelf for them, honey," countered Alaric. "I just have to find my power tools."

"Power tools?" asked Jenna with some interest. "You mean like drills and things? Like you could fix the gutter out back and that loose tile in our bathroom?"

Alaric smiled and dropped a kiss on Jenna's forehead. "It'll all be done by the end of the week. Promise."

Jenna smiled. "Then I guess you and your 500 records can stay."

"Phew," said Alaric in mock relief.

Josie, Jeremy and Elena just laughed. It was good to see Jenna and Alaric getting on so well.

"Speaking of old things…" said Elena. "We were thinking of inviting Elijah to another training session."

Jenna nodded. "If he's up for it, we'd love to have him back."

She looked at Alaric who frowned.

"What's wrong, Ric?" asked Jeremy. "You were the one who said we should practice with a real vampire."

"Elijah's great," said Elena. "He was really helpful."

Alaric sighed. "He was."

Josie rolled her eyes. "Well don't sound so annoyed about it."

Jenna laughed. "He's just jealous. Everyone loves Elijah."

"For the record, I don't love Elijah," clarified Jeremy, clearly trying to support Alaric.

"All women," clarified Jenna.

"He's still an Original," frowned Alaric. "I don't understand what's so great about him."

"He's just so…" Elena trailed off, trying to think of the right word.

"Handsome?" Josie mused.

"Charming?" tried Jenna.

"There's just something about him," said Elena, tilting her head. "You just instantly trust him."

Josie nodded. "They don't make men like that anymore."

Jenna and Elena nodded in agreement, seemingly lost in thought.

"Ahem," said Jeremy, shaking the girls out of their thoughts.

"Present company excluded of course," said Josie, quickly.

"So…" said Jenna, a little embarrassed. "Who's up for dessert? We have ice cream."

After dinner was done and the table was clean, Jeremy dragged Josie to his room to talk.

"What's up, Jer?" asked Josie. "This isn't about the stake?"

"No," said Jeremy, closing the door to his room. "It's about Anna. And me."

"Okay... What's going on?"

Jeremy sighed, looking hesitant.

"Jer, come on, just spit it out."

"I'm thinking about turning."

Josie was shocked. "What?"

"I love Anna," said Jeremy, quickly. "I wanna be with her forever. I'm already a year older than she was when she turned. I thought you'd understand."

"More than Elena, you mean," said Josie, tilting her head.

Jeremy nodded. "Elena doesn't get it. She might have loved Stefan, but she never would have turned for him."

It was true. Elena had been devastated when Damon had force-fed her his blood before the sacrifice. She would genuinely rather be dead than be a vampire. Josie didn't necessarily blame her. Josie wasn't sure what choice she'd make if forced to.

"Jenna'll go ballistic," said Josie, shaking her head. "Alaric too. After what happened with Isobel."

"It's my choice," said Jeremy defensively.

"And how does Anna feel about this?"

Jeremy's face darkened. "She wants me to wait until I'm 18. At least."

"She's a smart girl, Jer. You don't want to be stuck at 17." Josie sighed. "I can't pretend I agree, but I know how happy Anna makes you. I don't think vampires are inherently evil. Honestly, I think vampirism suits some people better than humanity."

Jeremy smiled. "Thanks. I just wanted you to know."

"I won't tell anyone. But please promise me you won't turn until we have that white oak stake back," said Josie, seriously.

"I promise," said Jeremy, hugging Josie.

An hour later, Josie was finishing up some homework when she felt a slight breeze.

"Hello, love," said Klaus, smiling down at her as she sat on her bed.

"Hey," smiled Josie. "Did you get the info you needed for the werewolf pack?"

"Yes. And your sister graciously agreed to make a donation while we were in Nova Scotia."

Josie rolled her eyes, knowing Elena may have agreed, but was probably not gracious about it.

"Now that Esther is dead, I'm assuming we can dispense with the hybrid shadows, right?" asked Josie, knowing that the lack of hybrid bodyguards would please both her and Elena.

Klaus nodded. "I see no immediate danger. Now," he said, taking her books and shoving them aside. "On to more important topics."

He backed her down on the bed, pressing his body into hers. It wasn't long before he'd shed all of their clothes and was between her spread legs, slowing pushing into her. He linked her hands with his as he made love to her, before spilling himself inside her and holding her close as they fell asleep together.

The next day, Josie dutifully woke up at 5am to train with her siblings, Jenna and Alaric. When they returned home, she was just finishing getting ready when she heard raised voices coming from Elena's room.

"What the hell?" grumbled Josie, opening her bedroom door and making her way to Elena's.

"Is everything okay in there?" asked Josie, who was soon joined by Jeremy.

"It's fine," came Elena's strained voice.

Jeremy and Josie looked at each other. Elena didn't sound fine. They leaned into the door and were soon able to hear who was in Elena's bedroom: Damon. Only it didn't sound like Elena was too happy about it.

"Just leave, Damon," said Elena. "Please. I have to get to school."

"Don't act like you aren't happy to see me," said Damon.

"I'm glad you're okay, Damon. But I'm already late."

"So skip. We haven't seen each other in weeks. I know you missed me."

Josie rolled her eyes. She could just picture his smirk while he said that.

"I did miss you and Stefan, but school is important too. Or at least that's what I keep telling Josie."

"I won't tell if you don't," returned Damon.

"I have to get to school, Damon. I'll see you later."

Elena opened the door to see Josie and Jeremy standing there.

"Uh," said Josie awkwardly. "Need a ride to school?"

Elena just sighed. "Sure. Thanks."

Josie, Jeremy and Elena all climbed into Josie's car a minute later.

"So…" said Josie. "Guess the Salvatores are back in town."

Elena nodded. "Stefan texted me. Damon just showed up."

"That's Damon," said Josie, rolling her eyes.

"I thought you two made up in Canada?" asked Jeremy.

"Damon and I are fine," answered Josie. "But I'm not contemplating a relationship with him, so I can accept his flaws much more easily."

Elena sighed and sat back in her seat. "I did miss them, but I can't pretend life wasn't simpler without them here."

"It's okay to feel that way," said Josie. "It's also okay to take some time to yourself and the pressure of choosing between them."

"Didn't you already have that when they were gone?" asked Jeremy.

Elena tilted her head. "Maybe I did."

"And…? How did you feel?" asked Josie.

Elena shrugged. "Like I said, life seemed simpler without them here. More peaceful, I guess. I wish I didn't have to choose."

"Well, maybe that's your answer," said Josie, as they pulled into the school parking lot.

Elena looked thoughtful as they walked into school together.

"He cancelled?" exclaimed Bridget, arms resting on the lunch table.

Rebekah had just finished telling Josie's friends that Mason had gone away for the weekend and they didn't get to go on their big date.

"He had to work," said Rebekah, telling a half-truth. "He said he'd make it up to me."

"He'd better!" said Bridget.

"Why didn't you call us?" asked Colin, indignant.

"Yeah, Bekah," said Tracy, nudging Rebekah's shoulder. "That's what friends are for."

"When the dude you're dating ditches you," explained Bridget. "We're here for ice cream and chick flicks."

Rebekah's smile lit up the entire cafeteria. "I'll remember that in the future."

"Good," said Colin, smiling. "Because you haven't lived until you've tasted Tracy's mimosa floats."

"Sherbet and champagne," said Josie, smiling. "They're to die for."

The rest of the school day passed by uneventfully. Jeremy went with Anna to the Grill after school, but when Elena and Josie came home, there was an unexpected visitor.

"John?" said Elena, walking into the kitchen.

John Gilbert was leaning against the kitchen counter, sipping a coffee while Jenna and Alaric glared at him from the table.

"What are you doing here?" asked Josie.

"Good to see you girls too," said John, raising an eyebrow.

"Just answer the question," said Alaric.

"He refused to tell us why he's here until Elena came home from school," explained Jenna.

"I'm here because an old contact of Isobel's called me," said John. "She said a witch was on their way to Mystic Falls with the last white oak stake."

"We know that," said Elena.

"Did you know that this witch isn't planning on just handing over the stake?" asked John. "She's bringing her coven and she's planning on killing all the Originals."

"What?" exclaimed Josie. "Lucy said…"

"The Bennett witch doesn't know," said John, shaking his head. "The witch promised Esther she would use it against her children if Esther died trying to get the cure."

"Why are you warning us?" asked Elena, skeptically.

It was a fair question. John pretty much hated vampires.

"Not wanting the Salvatore brothers sniffing around my daughter is a far cry from wanting them all dead," said John.

"You expect us to buy that?" asked Jenna, incredulously.

John sighed. "It wasn't just any contact. It was Katherine. She's linked her life to Elena's, so I'm here to make sure Klaus stays alive."

"That bitch!" exclaimed Jenna.

Josie frowned. "No offense, John, but what are you going to do to keep Klaus alive? Why would Katherine blackmail you?"

"Because Isobel left me these," said John. "You remember how good she was at finding things."

He held up a pair of manacles.

"They stop the wearer from performing magic," he explained.

Josie nodded, remembering how Klaus had used something similar against the Martins.

"I'll call Klaus," said Josie, quickly. "Thanks, John."

Josie's news didn't exactly shock Klaus, but he assured Josie he would take extra precautions when meeting with the witch for the white oak stake and that he'd send someone to pick up the manacles, though he seemed skeptical they were genuine.

"Those types of objects are quite rare," he explained. "I'll have Kol take a look."

"Good," said Josie, full of worry. "We don't want to take any chances."

"Don't worry, my love. The witch won't be here until tomorrow, so we've plenty of time to prepare. Tell me, what are your evening plans?"

"I don't know," smiled Josie. "Have something specific in mind?"

"Perhaps. I remember you wanted to see that new film. The one about dreams."

"Yeah, Inception," said Josie, though it wasn't really a new movie for her. "You want to take me to a movie?"

"All our dates can't be trips to Belize, love," teased Klaus.

"Too bad," laughed Josie. "But I'd love to see a movie with you, Klaus."

"Perfect, I'll pick you up in an hour."

Dinner and a movie with Klaus was wonderful. They went to an early showing and then spent the entire dinner debating the merits of the film, including the ambiguous ending.

After dinner, they walked hand-in-hand along the little canal in Lynchburg. Klaus told her about the times he'd spent in Venice, before the city suffered from regular floods.

"It was while we were hiding from Mikael in the 11th century," said Klaus. "The doge threw the most extravagant parties. We were fortunate enough to be present for the first Carnival."

"Really?" smiled Josie.

She loved hearing tales from Klaus' past. It was something they'd bonded over during the summer.

"In honor of a recent military victory," nodded Klaus. "Though it's quite different today. I'll take you there someday."

"Sounds like fun," said Josie, squeezing his hand.

The next morning, Josie awoke in her bed, with Klaus lying beside her. She quietly got dressed in her training clothes before heading downstairs to meet the rest of the family. When they returned from Alaric's, to Josie's surprise, Klaus was still there.

He was on the phone, no doubt making preparations for that afternoon's meeting with the witch that had the white oak stake.

"Yes," he said into the phone. "I want the entire café cleared. Only our people there and in the neighboring stores. Plus a dozen hybrids on the rooftops."

Josie peeled off her sweaty clothes and headed into the shower. She'd just finished conditioning her hair when the door to the bathroom opened and Klaus slipped into the shower behind her.

He helped her wash and she did the same for him while he filled her in on the plans for the meeting that afternoon. He refused to let her come, but assured her he was more than prepared for whatever the witch and her coven had in store.

"Please be careful," said Josie, running a hand down his chest.

"I will, my love," said Klaus, leaning down to kiss her.

She felt him hardening against her lower belly and smiled.

"Can I help you?" she questioned.

Klaus smirked. "I do believe it's tradition for a woman to send her man off with a proper good-bye before he goes to war."

"I've never heard of this tradition," Josie teased.

"Trust me," said Klaus, kissing her jaw. "I'm far older and wiser."

Josie opened her mouth to protest, but fell silent when Klaus' fingers found her clit and started rubbing. He lifted her against the shower wall and swiftly entered her, fucking her to completion.

As she watched Klaus disappear from her room twenty minutes later, she hoped it wouldn't be for the last time.

The school day seemed to drag on, especially as Rebekah was absent, no doubt working with her siblings to prepare for the meeting with the witch this afternoon.

When school let out, Josie and Elena went home to anxiously wait for news, while Jeremy went to see Anna. John was in the kitchen when they arrived.

"What are you still doing here?" asked Elena. "You delivered your message and the anti-magic cuffs."

John sighed. "Believe it or not, Elena, I'm here because I care about you."

Elena didn't say anything, just grabbed a glass out of the cupboard and got herself some water.

"I was hoping you'd come with me to the cemetery," said John. "Grayson's birthday is next week. I thought since I was in town, we could all pay our respects."

At that, Elena stopped and looked at John with softer eyes. Josie just stood there, trying not to feel awkward. Grayson Gilbert wasn't her real father, after all.

"I guess it might take our mind off things," said Elena, quietly.

Josie was silent as John drove them to the cemetery. They got out and walked over to Grayson and Miranda's graves.

John knelt in front of Miranda's headstone and put a small bunch of flowers down, before repeating the action for Grayson.

"You are missed, Brother," said John, putting a hand on Grayson's headstone. "I hope you think I've done right by our family."

Elena and Josie didn't say anything. Elena looked lost in thought as she stared at her parents' graves.

After a few minutes of silence, John stood up.

"Come with me," he said. "There's something I want to show you. Something important to the Gilbert family legacy."

John led them to a small mausoleum just on the edge of the cemetery.

"What did you want to show us?" asked Elena, looking around the mausoleum.

"This," said John, holding up a stake he'd pulled from his pocket.

Josie looked more closely and gasped. That was the white oak stake!

"How did you get that?" exclaimed Josie.

"I gave it to him of course," came a voice from behind Josie and Elena.

They whipped around to see Lucy Bennett standing near the mausoleum door.

"For safekeeping," continued Lucy. "In case Niklaus and the others refused to take the cure."

Josie frowned. Lucy had just used Klaus' full name. Nobody did that, no one except his family… Oh no…

"It was all a lie, wasn't it?" asked Josie, in horror. "There's no witch. No coven. No link to Katherine." She looked at John. "You had the stake all along."

"I don't understand," Elena said. "Lucy, what's going on?"

"That's not Lucy Bennett, Elena," said Josie, backing away.

"You're a clever girl," said Lucy, smiling. "I can see why my son is so fond of you."

"Son?" repeated Elena, before she quieted, finally understanding.

After all, the same thing had happened to Alaric when Klaus first came to town. Josie and Elena grabbed each other's hands, knowing without a doubt that the woman standing before them was Esther Mikealson.


	62. Remember When

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter!**

 **I'm glad most people didn't see the twist coming, it's definitely more exciting that way :-)**

 **Also, I share your dislike of Esther, but it didn't seem true to her character for her arc to lack at least one 'fake death'. Don't worry. She's gonna die and when she does, I have no plans of resurrecting her.**

 **Anyway, heads up that there is a fair amount of twists and turns in the next few chapters (the word count exploded in this one too, whoops). I hope you enjoy!**

"It was you all along," said Josie in disgust. "That's why you came so willingly back to Mystic Falls. So John could bring you the white oak to where all your children are living." Then she remembered something. "You promised me, Esther. On the Other Side. You promised you wouldn't kill them."

"I promised to try," Lucy countered. "I wanted to cure them. You removed that option. Now I have no choice but to destroy them all."

"She's right," said John.

"How can you side with her?" demanded Elena, looking at John accusingly.

"I know you don't like vampires, but… it's thousands of people, John," agreed Josie, shaking her head.

"Vampires aren't people, Josie," said John, calmly. "They're reanimated corpses. Blood-sucking locusts. And now every single living Gilbert is in love with one… Tell me, what would your parents think of your choices?"

"Mom and Dad would want us to be happy," insisted Elena, still gripping Josie's hand tightly as they stood in the mausoleum.

"No parent wants this life for her child," said Lucy, moving to stand beside John. "I am sorry that it has come to this."

They had to get out of here, warn Klaus and the others. They had left their cell phones in the car- John had said something about them being disrespectful to the dead. Josie had thought it was odd at the time, but never dreamed John was working with Esther.

Without thinking, Josie tugged on Elena's hand and they ran for the open door. They managed to get there, but were stopped by an invisible barrier.

"What the hell?" exclaimed Elena, banging on the invisible barrier.

Josie and Elena whipped around to face Lucy and John once again. Josie bit her lip, recognizing the situation they were in and hoping, somehow, Esther had different plans this time.

"You have the stake," said Elena, shaking Josie out of her thoughts. "Why bring us here?"

"You're essential to my plans," answered Lucy. "Both of you."

"I'm sorry, girls," said John sadly. "I didn't want to involve you in this, but Esther insisted."

"I will not harm you…" began Lucy.

Josie scoffed, interrupting her. "You lied to us! Sent your children and the hybrid pack on a wild goose chase to that fucking café just so you could lure us here. Why?."

Lucy tilted her head. "I need the blood of the doppelganger as well as the Oracle."

Josie frowned. "My blood is nothing special."

"On the contrary," said Lucy. "With a direct connection to the Sight, I can use your blood to draw energy from the earth. This body is sick with Expression magic. The spell I intend to use requires Spirit Magic."

Josie rolled her eyes. "Sounds like a lot of magical mumbo-jumbo. You just wanted me here in case I got a vision and could warn Klaus."

A smiled tugged at the corner of Lucy's mouth. "Think what you will."

"Wait, what spell?" asked Elena.

Lucy looked at John. "I'm going to remake him."

Josie closed her eyes. She knew it. Esther was going to do to John what she'd done to Alaric in the original storyline- make him an all-powerful Original vampire whose only weakness was his tie to one human life- Elena's.

"Remake him?" repeated Elena, frowning.

"Make him strong, fast, indestructible," explained Lucy. "Like my husband Mikael before him, I will make John into a true hunter. The vampire to end all vampires."

"That's your plan?" asked Elena, incredulously. "Create another Original? What's to stop him from becoming an even bigger problem?"

"He won't," said Lucy confidently. "John was raised to hate vampires. For over a hundred years, the Gilbert family has used the power of the resurrection ring to combat the darkness."

"I'm ready to embrace our family's legacy," said John, looking at Elena and Josie. "I'm doing this for you. And Jeremy and every person's life who has been ruined by vampires."

"John, come on," said Josie, shaking her head. "This is insane."

"Insane?" said John. "I stood by while the woman I loved, your mother Elena, became a monster. Everything good about her was gone. I won't let that happen to anyone else. Especially not this family. The time of the vampires has come to an end."

Lucy raised her hands and suddenly all the candles in the mausoleum lit themselves.

"When you're ready," said Lucy, gesturing for John to join her at the small altar.

"John, don't do this," said Elena, pleading. "Please, don't."

Josie grasped Elena's hand as John ignored Elena and offered his hands to Lucy.

"We won't help you," said Elena, stepping back.

"That's right," agreed Josie.

"I thought you might say that," sighed Lucy.

She held up her hand and pulled Elena and Josie forward with her magic, forcing them to bleed into the bowl set upon the altar.

"Shit," said Josie, cradling her split palm.

Why did they always have to take blood from the palm? Fucking ridiculous.

"Drink," Lucy commanded John. "And let it be done."

"John, no!" begged Elena. "This isn't you."

The girls watched as John lifted the bowl and drank the entire potion.

"Is that it?" asked John, looking at Lucy.

"Not just yet," she responded.

Josie and Elena cried out as Lucy took a large sword and shoved it through John's chest. He winced, but otherwise didn't make a sound as he slumped to the ground.

"I can't believe this," said Josie, quietly.

Elena just stood there, looking down at John's body, clutching her wounded hand.

"Here," said Lucy, handing both the girls a piece of cloth to wrap their cut hands.

"You said you wanted to undo the evil you created," said Elena, looking at Lucy. "But this. This is evil."

"John will never become like my children," said Lucy. "I have granted him enough power to complete his task. Then, when the time is right, he will die."

Josie sighed. She was right. His life was linked to Elena's, just like in the original storyline. Well, she wasn't going to tell anyone. That had ended disastrously. They'd have to find another way to stop John.

"But, he's immortal," said Elena, confused.

"All you need to know is that when this is over, I will have rid the earth of vampires once and for all," said Lucy. "Now… there is one more thing I need from you."

She was looking at Josie as she said it.

"Me?" frowned Josie.

Lucy nodded. "Your necklace."

"Why…" Josie trailed off, realizing what was missing from this situation.

The white oak stake that John had was still single-use. Alaric and Jeremy had the Gilbert rings, so clearly Esther needed her necklace to make the stake indestructible.

"What do you want with her necklace?" asked Elena, placing a protective arm over Josie.

"The stake will burn up in the body of its first victim," said Lucy, holding up the stake. "I need to bind the protective magic of the necklace to the stake, thus rendering it indestructible."

"Jo, no," said Elena, backing away and pulling Josie with her. "Don't give it to her."

"I won't," said Josie, shaking her head. "You can't have it. And you can't take it by force. Klaus made sure of that."

Lucy looked smug. "You truly don't understand magical objects do you? Don't worry, I did my homework on that one."

In an instant, Elena and Josie flew back. Elena hit her head on a nearby tombstone and fell to the ground. Josie stumbled over a small step and hit her head on a stone bench. Stars burst behind her eyes and the stone floor of the mausoleum felt cold as she fell.

Her vision was fogged over as Lucy came over, knelt beside her and began chanting while she touched the necklace.

"Stop…" said Josie weakly. "Please don't…"

Her head was throbbing and the necklace felt hot as Lucy continued to chant for a few more seconds. Then she felt the weight of the necklace lift and Lucy stood up, holding it in her hands.

Josie weakly lifted her hand to her throat. She felt strangely naked without it. What would Klaus say when she told him what Esther had done with it?

Her vision started getting fainter and fainter and the last thing Josie saw before she lost consciousness was Lucy dropping the necklace into the bowl on the altar and start chanting yet again.

When Josie awoke, the first thing she saw was Elena's face.

"Jo?" said Elena with a worried look. "Jo, are you awake?"

"Yeah," said Josie, sitting up.

Her head still throbbed, but the pain was a little less intense.

"She did something," explained Elena. "Stopped the bleeding. Mine too."

Josie looked up and saw a nasty gash on Elena's head, but it looked clotted at least. She looked over at Lucy, who was standing at a small table on the other side of the mausoleum, flipping through a Grimoire. Beside the Grimoire was the white oak stake, now covered in the silvery protective coating of Josie's melted necklace.

"You're awake," said Lucy. "Good. The spell I used should be enough until you can be seen by a doctor."

"You'll understand if we don't thank you," said Josie, sarcastically.

Lucy ignored her comment and continued staring at her book.

"When John awakes, I will feed him my blood to facilitate his transition," said Lucy. "Once it is complete, I will lower the barrier and you'll be free to go."

Josie and Elena managed to stand up and plop down on the small bench Josie had fallen into. They sat there in silence, just hugging each other until Elena broke the silence.

"How's your head?" asked Elena.

Josie frowned. "It hurts, but I think my hand is worse."

She looked down at her split palm. "What about you?"

"Same," answered Elena.

"Now I know how it feels to be the doppelganger. Magic blood is the worst."

Elena nodded, looking at John. "What do you think she meant that he'll die when the time is right?"

"I don't know," lied Josie. "But I'm sure it'll be after all the Originals and their sirelines are dead. We have to find a way to stop him before that."

"How?"

Josie shrugged. She wasn't sure how, exactly. Maybe the desiccation spell would work this time. They had the entire Original family to help hold John down. But they had to get out and warn them first.

Her next sentence was interupted by shouting outside the mausoleum.

"Lucy Bennett!" came Elijah's booming voice.

"Gentlemen," said Lucy, quickly exiting the mausoleum.

A quick flick of her wrist slammed the door behind her. Elena and Josie immediately went to the door and started pushing on it.

"No!" shouted Elena, banging on the door.

"Help us!" Josie added, shoving at the door with all her might.

They couldn't kill Lucy. Esther would just jump into another witch. Maybe Bonnie… Given the circumstances, Bonnie was probably Esther's next target. They couldn't let that happen.

"This stupid door," yelled Josie in frustration.

The door was yanked off its hinges and Josie saw Mason on the other side of the doorway. He tossed the door to the side. Josie and Elena rushed forward only to be stopped by the barrier once again.

Josie looked past Mason to see Lucy with her hands aloft and blood pouring from her nose, clearly struggling to hold back Klaus, Elijah and the entire group of hybrids. Even with the power of Expression, she was fighting a losing battle.

"You cannot win, witch," growled Klaus, slowly getting up and advancing towards Lucy.

"No!" screamed Josie, banging on the barrier. "That's not Lucy! It's Esther!"

Klaus looked up and saw Josie, his face immediately turning to rage.

"How dare you take her," he growled. Then he registered Josie's words and looked at Lucy. "I should have known it was you, Mother Dearest."

"Even in death you cannot defeat me," said Lucy smugly. "If you kill me, I will simply find someone else to inhabit while I rid this world of you."

Klaus' howled in rage, even as Elijah placed an arm on his shoulder.

There was no way to win. She was right. Esther would just go to another body. They couldn't risk not knowing who that was.

No longer fighting her, Lucy smiled evilly as she flicked her wrist and all the hybrids' necks snapped, leaving only Klaus and Elijah standing.

"Perhaps now you will accept your fate," said Lucy, standing over Klaus and Elijah, who had once again been forced on their knees.

"Esther, please," shouted Josie, tears forming in her eyes. "I love your son! Don't do this."

Klaus' eyes flickered over to Josie, even as he held his head in agony.

"I'm doing this for you," said Lucy, looking back at Elena and Josie still standing in the doorway of the mausoleum. "A flick of my wrist and I won't need the hunter to drive the white oak through their hearts."

"I'm pretty sure she asked you to stop," came a voice from the tree line, just beyond the mausoleum.

Everyone turned to look at the newcomer.

"You?" gasped Josie, in utter shock.

There she was, standing there with a terrifyingly angry look on her face- the dark-haired woman who had haunted Josie's dreams. The one who saved her from the coven in Italy, who prevented her rescue in Chicago. The one who knew her real, non-Vampire-Diaries-universe name. The one who had insisted Josie stay by Klaus' side.

"Diana?" said Elijah, tilting his head in recognition.

Josie blinked. Elijah knew her?

"Who the bloody hell are you?" asked Klaus.

Diana looked at him. "Someone who shares your disdain for a woman who wants to end the entire vampire species."

Diana walked forward and gripped Lucy tightly with both hands before she quickly began chanting.

"No!" screamed Lucy, trying unsuccessfully to shake Diana off her. "Stop!"

Diana just ignored her protests and continued chanting, the air swirling around them.

A few more seconds and Diana's chanting grew ever louder. There was a loud crack and a scream of pain, when suddenly, Diana's chanting ceased.

"There," said Diana, releasing her grip on Lucy, who stumbled backwards.

"You are a traitor to the cause," spat Lucy, still a little dazed by whatever Diana had done. "You are no friend to the Spirits."

"Then let the Spirits take it up with me," said Diana, crossing her arms.

"What did you do?" asked Josie, seeing the furious look on Lucy's face.

Diana smiled. "I trapped her in that body. She can no longer jump into anyone else."

"Well, then," said Elijah. "Allow me."

And before anyone could say anything more, Elijah was standing in front of Lucy with his hand plunged in her chest.

"Goodbye, Mother," said Elijah and pulled his hand out, still clenching her heart.

The barrier now gone, Josie rushed forward into Klaus, wrapping her arms around him and burying her head in his chest.

"Are you alright?" he asked, pulling back to rake his eyes over her.

"I'll live," smiled Josie, relieved that Esther was finally gone.

Klaus inspected her head and lifted her hurt hand.

"If she weren't already dead…" he growled angrily, biting into his wrist and letting her drink.

"Elena's hurt too," said Josie.

Josie turned around to see Elena drinking from Elijah's wrist.

"Now," said Klaus, eyes moving toward Diana, who was looking at Josie and Klaus curiously. "Who are you?"

"Diana Russo," answered Elijah, moving toward Diana. "We're old… acquaintances."

"I wasn't aware you'd called in a witch of your own, Brother," said Klaus, narrowing his eyes at Elijah.

"I didn't," said Elijah, ignoring Klaus' dark look. "Why are you here, Diana?"

"I'm here because Josie is here," said Diana.

"Me?" asked Josie, frowning.

"I came to Mystic Falls when I sensed you'd dissolved the bond," explained Diana.

"The bond?" asked Josie. "What bond?"

"The one you and Kol shared," answered Diana.

"What?" exclaimed Josie, now getting angry. "You put the soulmate curse on us? Why? I thought you wanted me to stay with Klaus?"

"I wanted you to stay with Klaus so you could keep an eye on Kol!" exclaimed Diana. "I don't care what happens to the hybrid."

Klaus tensed beside Josie. "Who is Kol to you, witch?"

"Exactly," said Josie, now even more confused. "How do you even know him? He's been daggered since before you were born."

Diana sighed. "I'm not having this conversation twice." She raised her hands to Josie's head. "I think it's time you remember when we met."

Josie felt a flash in her head, the same one she'd felt when Esther gave her the memories of the Other Side.

"Oh," she said, understanding. "I remember."

 _14 months ago_

 _When Josie woke up, she immediately knew something was wrong. She was no longer in her bed. She was cold, lying uncovered on the ground. Looking up, she was in a forest, at night. The stars sparkled above. There was a fire close by that provided the only light as far as she could see._

 _Before her stood a dark-haired woman dressed in a black suit. She smiled at Josie kindly._

 _"Welcome, Josie" she said. "My name is Diana. Please, don't be scared. I won't hurt you. I brought you here because I need your help."_

 _"Help?" asked Josie, sitting up. "Where am I? My family…"_

 _"Your family is safe, I promise," said Diana. "Still asleep, I suspect. They needn't ever know you're gone. As to where you are, you are in Virginia."_

 _"Virginia?" asked Josie. That wasn't too far from home. "Look, I promise I won't tell anybody about this if you just let me go."_

 _"I'm sorry, my dear, but I cannot let you go," sighed Diana. "I brought you here because I need your help. I need you to save my son."_

 _"Your son?" Josie repeated._

 _"Yes. He is in grave peril."_

 _"How am I supposed to save him?" asked Josie, confused. "Have you tried the police? Do you want me to hire him a bodyguard or something?"_

 _What was wrong with this woman?_

 _"Not exactly," said Diana. "He has all the tools he should need to survive: enhanced speed, strength, agility." She sighed. "But he is still in danger. Fated to die."_

 _Okay, this woman was definitely crazy. That much was clear. Enhanced speed and strength? Was he a robot?_

 _"Right…" said Josie, with mock seriousness, surreptitiously looking around. She needed to keep this woman talking if she was going to escape. "And how exactly am I supposed to protect him if he's all super-powered?"_

 _"I brought you here because you possess something that will ensure his survival: clairvoyance."_

 _"Okay," said Josie, distractedly, trying to see which direction looked the most promising to run. "Wait... What? Clairvoyance? Like seeing the future? I can't see the future."_

 _"Not in your world, no," said Diana. "But here, you can. Everyone from your world has a direct connection to the Source of this world. You know it as a mythical world. A figment of a writer's imagination. You are familiar with The Vampire Diaries?"_

 _"That's a TV show," said Josie, escape momentarily forgotten._

 _"Yes, to you it is. Which is why you can access the Source and see into the future, the past and the present. But it is a real place. You are here. I went to great lengths to transport you to this world."_

 _"This world?" repeated Josie, not believing what she was hearing._

 _"Yes," smiled Diana. "We are just a few miles from the town of Mystic Falls."_

 _Josie didn't know what to say. This woman was certifiable._

 _"I am a witch, Josie. My mother taught me the secrets of other worlds. She used expression to visit them at times. I brought you here because I had a vision of my son being killed."_

 _"If you're so powerful, why don't you protect him?" asked Josie._

 _She casually brought her legs underneath her, trying to get in a better position to spring up and run. Stay calm, keep the woman talking, she told herself._

 _Diana sighed. "Because he is a vampire. And he is fated to die because his Original Vampire sire, Kol, is fated to die. The other members of my coven will not allow me to save Kol. I already tried to reason with them. He and my coven share a… violent history."_

 _Josie remembered Kol's death from the show. She remembered idly wondering how many vampires lost their lives when Finn and Kol died._

 _"If anyone from my world can see the future, why did you bring me here?" asked Josie, readying herself to run. "I've only seen the show once."_

 _She casually placed her hand on the ground to give herself better balance._

 _"Unfortunately, my choices were limited," said Diana, clearly trying to be patient. "There are only 500 portals available in your world. I needed someone who spoke English and had some familiarity with the show. The list was short. It was only you."_

 _Josie sighed. "You probably should have chosen someone else."_

 _She sprang up as quickly as she could and ran. She only got a few feet before she was stopped by an invisible force._

 _"What the hell?" she exclaimed, beating her fist against the invisible barrier._

 _She turned toward Diana._

 _"I told you," said Diana. "I'm a witch."_

 _"You're telling the truth," whispered Josie, shocked._

 _"Yes."_

 _"Am I dreaming?"_

 _She pinched herself. Nope, don't think it's a dream._

 _"No, my dear," said Diana. "You're here. I need you to save my son."_

 _"Okay, so let me get this straight," said Josie, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm in a mythical world that I know as the TV show The Vampire Diaries. And you want me to save Kol Mikaelson, the Original Vampire, and, by proxy, your son, by seeing the future?"_

 _"Yes, through visions," said Diana._

 _"Visions?"_

 _"Yes. Your connection to the Source is innate. You will have visions," said Diana. "Hopefully, together with your knowledge of the storyline, they will be enough to save Kol."_

 _"Fine," said Josie. "I don't think we'll need them though. What's going on in Mystic Falls right now? What season are we in? Let's save Kol so I can go home."_

 _She still wasn't convinced this wasn't a dream, but if somehow saving Kol got her to wake up, she figured, why the hell not? What else was there to do in a dream but play along?_

 _"Season?" repeated Diana. "I'm not sure. I'm sorry, but my knowledge of other worlds isn't as complete as my mother's. I had a vision that flashed through my mind last week of Kol being killed here in Mystic Falls. I'm not sure when or how. My visions aren't that precise. I brought you here as soon as I could get the necessary… pieces in place. The date is August 30, 2009."_

 _"2009?" Josie repeated. "That's like 8 years ago."_

 _"Yes, I pulled you from a time where his death had already occurred."_

 _"2009… I think that's Season 1," said Josie. "Kol is still daggered."_

 _"I had heard he was still sleeping. But of course he can be revived at any moment. That's the danger with Original Vampires. No one knows where Klaus keeps them."_

 _"Kol doesn't wake up until Season 3," said Josie. "He isn't killed until Season 4, I think. I'm not sticking around until then. Can't you magic me into the future, so I can just save him?"_

 _Diana shook her head. "It doesn't work that way. I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait."_

 _"I'm not twiddling my thumbs in this world for years. Send me back and then just bring me again, if you have to. Or bring someone else."_

 _At that, Diana became angry. "I can't just send you back and forth. It's not a subway train. It took considerable sacrifices just to bring you here. I only have enough power to send you back once."_

" _Sacrifices?" repeated Josie, remembering that Expression often involved sacrifices to fuel powerful spells. Like the kind to send people into and out of different worlds, apparently._

 _Diana moved to stand in front of Josie. "You will help me and you will save my son. If you won't stay here willingly, then I'll have to force you."_

 _"And how are you going to do that?" asked Josie, crossing her arms. "If they're my visions, then I won't help you or Kol if you're going to keep me prisoner."_

 _Diana smiled at that. "You will if you don't know you're my prisoner."_

 _Josie frowned. "What do you mean?"_

 _Diana smirked. "I think the doppelganger could use a sister. It's obvious that Klaus will come for Elena eventually, most likely with Kol in tow. Yes," she smiled, eyeing Josie's dark hair and eyes. "You'll fit right in with the Gilberts."_

 _Josie's eyes were wide. "No, don't," she said, but Diana had already started chanting and Josie felt her eyelids grow heavy. Soon, she was fast asleep._

 _End Flashblack_

"You trapped me here," accused Josie, looking at Diana. "You used me and my visions."

"I did what was necessary to save my son," said Diana, though her eyes held a measure of guilt.

"Do you even understand what I've gone through?" exclaimed Josie, in an ever rising tone. "What these visions have done to me? Deciding who lives and who dies? Scared every second that someone is going to try and kidnap me or kill me because I have a power that no one else does?"

Diana looked uncomfortable. "That was never my intention. I gave you a place in this world to save my son. I am sorry."

Josie sighed, some of her anger dissipating. Hadn't Diana just done the same thing Josie herself had- chosen to protect those she loved?

"Care to explain, love?" said Klaus.

Josie blinked, having forgotten she and Diana weren't alone.

"What does she mean 'gave you a place in this world'?" asked Elena.

"I…" Josie bit her lip.

She looked at Elena, Klaus and Elijah all in turn. Maybe the time had come to tell the truth. How else could she explain what they'd heard?

"I'm not from this world," said Josie. "I'm from another one."

"Another world?" echoed Elijah, clearly confused.

Josie nodded. "Like an alternate universe. You know like you see in the movies."

"That's crazy," said Elena, tilting her head. "You're Josie Gilbert. You're my sister. You were born here in Mystic Falls. I remember us growing up together."

"We didn't," said Josie, hesitantly. "Not technically. I…" she trailed off, looking at Diana.

She still wasn't sure how it all worked.

"It's a spell," explained Diana. "About a year ago I had a vision of your brother Kol being killed. Unlike Josie, my visions are of the normal witch variety. I had no idea when it would happen, how it would happen, just that it would happen here in Mystic Falls, sometime in the future. And then, after that, my son, who is descended from Kol, would die.

'As Elijah is aware, my coven isn't exactly friendly to vampires, so I knew I needed someone else to aid me. I brought Josie here, with her foreknowledge of the show and her clairvoyance and placed a soulmate bond on her and Kol to protect him. When she refused to help, I cast a spell that made her Josie Gilbert, twin sister to Jeremy Gilbert, so she would stay in Mystic Falls until the Original family came for the doppelganger."

Elena, Elijah and Klaus were silent, taking all of Diana's words in.

"But I remember growing up with you," said Elena finally, clearly not quite believing what Diana said.

Josie couldn't blame Elena. It was definitely an easier explanation that Diana and Josie were crazy, rather than they were a universe-jumping girl and the witch that brought her here.

"I created those memories," said Diana, she raised her hands to Elena's head. "Here."

Elena blinked and Josie could tell Diana had done the same thing to Elena that she'd done to Josie.

"What the..?" said Elena, stumbling back. "I… How is this possible?"

"Please explain, my dear," said Elijah, catching Elena before she fell.

"It's like…" Elena shook her head. "It's like I have two sets of memories. Two childhoods. One with Josie as my little sister and one without."

"But only one set of memories since last fall," provided Diana. "That is when she came here and I cast the spell."

Elena looked at Josie then. "How could you… Why didn't you tell us? How did you know who we were? Did she give you fake memories too?"

Josie chanced a glance at Klaus. He hadn't spoken or looked at Josie since Diana had begun her explanation.

"No," said Josie, shaking her head. "You have to understand, when I first came here, I thought it was a dream. Or that I was going crazy. The truth is, in my world, this is all a TV show. It's not real. That's how I knew you. Knew so much about you. All of you. Some info comes from the visions, but a lot comes from the storyline."

"A TV show?" repeated Elena a hurt look on her face. "I'm a real person, Jo. With real feelings."

"I know!" Josie said quickly. "I haven't thought that… Not since…"

Klaus growled, backing away from Josie. "That's all we are to you? A fake world with fake people? A bloody cartoon!"

"Of course not!" exclaimed Josie. "At first, yeah, you were all like strangers. I played along because I didn't know what else to do. But I know it's real. You're real." She looked in Klaus' eyes. "My feelings for you…"

"Enough!" shouted Klaus, his face more hurt than she'd ever seen it. "I don't want to hear any more. Your whole existence. Your every word. It's all been a lie."

Josie blinked back tears. "What? No, Klaus, please, I…"

The sound of screeching tires interrupted her. Josie gasped and ran back into the mausoleum only to find it empty.

"John's gone," said Josie, turning back to the group. "And he took the stake."

"John?" asked Elijah.

"John Gilbert," said Elena. "Esther turned him into an Original Vampire and gave him the last white oak stake. He must have woken up. He's in transition."

Klaus looked at Elijah.

"Of course," said Elijah, before disappearing, presumably to try and follow John.

"Come along," said Klaus, grabbing Elena's arm and not even looking at Josie. "I'll see you safely home, my dear."

And with that, Klaus and Elena disappeared, leaving Josie and Diana alone.

 **A/N: I promised twists and turns. Thoughts?**

 **Also, anyone suspect it was Kol she was brought here to save, given I hinted the soulmate bond didn't originate from Esther? A least one reviewer guessed this a while back, but I figured others must have thought it.**


	63. The Reason is You

**A/N: A few answers:**

 **Not sure about Enzo. Honestly, I hadn't thought about him, even though I do like him as a character and was sad when he died in the end. I may pull him into an arc later. We'll see.**

 **I had Josie tell them the truth, mostly because I think she was probably sick of the lie and with Diana here, she didn't think she could get away with it anymore.**

 **Diana's son is just some random vampire in Kol's sireline. Since in canon they all died in Season 4, he's not anyone we'd know.**

 **I know the past few chapters have been a bit crazy. I do hope you've found them exciting though! Mostly because, if anything, this chapter amps it up even more. I promise it'll all work out though. Anyway, here ya go!**

"I'm sorry," said Diana, sighing. "I didn't mean to… expose you."

Josie closed her eyes, willing back her tears. There were more important things to worry about right now than the shambles that were her fake life and her apparently broken relationship with Klaus.

"I can send you back," offered Diana.

"What?" asked Josie, opening her eyes.

"Once the hunter is dead and the stake is safe," said Diana. "I can send you back, if that's what you want. The spell is already in place. Opening a portal back is just completing the spell. I already did the hard part when I brought you here."

Josie sighed. What did she want? A day ago, she would have probably said she wanted to stay. At least for now. She'd become incredibly attached to this world, to her family and friends. She was in love with Klaus. Now, everyone knew she didn't belong (or would soon once Elena, Elijah and Klaus told them).

"One thing at a time," said Josie, not wanting to think about it anymore. "We have to find John, kill him and get the stake. If we're still alive after all that, then, maybe… I don't know. Of course, Klaus did just feed me his blood, so I'll be alive regardless I guess."

Josie frowned, missing the security she had felt with the necklace hanging around her neck.

Diana shook her head. "I can't send you back as a vampire."

"Why not?"

"Magic doesn't exist in your world," explained Diana. "Vampirism is the result of the immortality spell Esther cast a thousand years ago. If you go back as a vampire, you'll just be dead there."

"I guess that makes sense," said Josie, sighing. "Well, I'm glad I didn't turn before to try and get rid of these visions."

Diana frowned. "Your connection to the Source is innate. It's not a witch's magic. As long as you're in this world, alive or dead, you will continue to get visions. Though I could try to block them magically somehow."

"You know all this information would have been really useful a year ago!" spat Josie, annoyed that now the only person speaking to her in this world was also the cause of all her problems.

"You refused to help me!" argued Diana. "I asked you to help me save my son, save thousands of vampires, but you refused! Didn't want to be inconvenienced by having to wait a year or two."

"You kidnapped me!" countered Josie, temper flaring. "That's not asking!"

She was just mad right now. Mad at Diana for bringing her here. Mad at Klaus for abandoning her. Mad at Esther for fooling all of them and trying to kill her children. Mad at herself that she hadn't been upfront about her true origins. Just plain mad. And Diana was the only one here.

"What would you have done?" challenged Diana. "If it were someone you loved?"

"I wouldn't have kidnapped an innocent person and stuck them in the body of a 16-year-old!" exclaimed Josie. "I couldn't have been Elena's twin? Or better yet, their older sister?"

Diana's face reddened a bit. "I… was angry," she said, a bit sheepishly. "That you refused to help me."

Josie scoffed. "Someone's petty."

"I'm not exactly proud of everything I've done here," said Diana.

"Well you shouldn't be!" huffed Josie.

Seeing the guilty look on Diana's face made Josie's tone soften a bit. It wasn't as if Josie was an innocent party here either. What would she have done if she were trying to save someone she loved?

Josie sighed. "We have more important things to worry about right now. Like how to stop John."

"You mentioned a white oak stake?" asked Diana.

Josie shook her head. "It won't kill him. Esther made sure that wasn't a weakness of his for this version of the spell." She paused. "But there is a spell that could stop him. It desiccates a vampire. Stops their heart."

"I think I've heard of that," said Diana. "It's a bit obscure. Why desiccate a vampire when you can just kill it? But for Originals…"

"Exactly," said Josie. "There's a bit of a problem though."

"What's that?"

"There's only one person I know that has the copy of that spell."

"Let me guess," said Diana, gesturing Josie to follow her to her nearby car. "The hybrid who you just pissed off?"

Josie nodded. "Yep. He confiscated the desiccation spell when I tried to use it against him back in the spring."

Diana raised an eyebrow. "You tried to desiccate him and now you're together?"

"I doubt we're still together after this," said Josie, trying to ignore the pang in her heart as she said the words. "But he kidnapped me after that and forced me to hunt werewolves over the summer, so I'd say we're even."

"Some kinda life I dragged you into," said Diana, shaking her head.

"Tell me about it," said Josie, climbing into the passenger seat of Diana's car. "My cell phone was in the car that John made his getaway in."

"So we'll have to make a house call," said Diana. "Which way does the hybrid live?"

Josie bit her lip. She really didn't want to see Klaus right now, didn't want to see his angry eyes staring at her. Would Klaus ever forgive her? Would Elena or Jeremy or Jenna? What a mess…

"I'll protect you," said Diana, putting a hand on her arm. "I won't let him hurt you. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly helpless."

Josie nodded. She didn't think Klaus would physically hurt her, but it was nice that Diana would make sure he didn't. She sighed and began giving Diana directions to the Mikaelson house.

Josie took a deep breath as Diana rang the doorbell.

Rebekah was the one who answered.

"Well, I didn't expect to see you here," said Rebekah, raising an eyebrow.

"Good news travels fast, I see," said Josie, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice. "But we're here to help. We think we know of a way to stop John."

Rebekah sighed. "Come in."

When Rebekah, Diana and Josie walked into the living room, Klaus, Elijah and Kol were already there.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" growled Klaus, flashing in front of Josie.

"We're here to help," said Josie, taking a step back. "I know you're mad at me. For lying. You can be mad all you want, but right now we have an unkillable vampire hunter on the loose armed with a weapon that can kill you all."

"We don't need your help," said Klaus, angrily.

"So what's your plan then?" asked Josie, crossing her arms.

Klaus looked furious, but didn't respond. Clearly, he didn't have a plan.

"What is yours?" queried Elijah.

Josie smiled, grateful for his willingness to at least listen.

"You still have the desiccation spell?" she asked.

"Yes," Klaus ground out.

Josie looked at Diana. "We have a witch that can work it. We just need help finding John and then holding him down long enough for it to take effect."

"If I recall, that spell requires stopping a human heart," said Elijah.

"I know," said Josie. "Diana said she would put a protective spell on me, since Esther took my necklace."

"Absolutely not!" growled Klaus.

Josie scoffed, what was his deal? First he shouts at her, doesn't even give her a chance to explain, then leaves her in the cemetery. Where the fuck did he get off telling her what to do?

"Like you fucking care," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's not your decision. Plus, there aren't a lot of other volunteers and…"

Josie was cut off by Rebekah's phone ringing.

"It's Mason," she said, answering it. "Where the bloody hell have you been? You said you were coming straight back…" She paused. "Who is this?"

All the vampires in the room looked tense, clearly whoever was on the other side of the call wasn't Mason. Rebekah pulled the phone from her ear and put it on speaker.

John Gilbert's voice filled the room. "And if you ever want to see Mason, Tyler or Carol alive again, I suggest you come to the Lockwood Mansion. Alone."

"If you hurt Mason," threatened Rebekah. "I will rip out your intestines and use them as a hat."

Graphic. Rebekah really did love Mason.

"Just come. Alone. You have one hour."

Then John hung up.

Everyone was silent for a second before Kol spoke up.

"How long do you need to prepare the spell?" he asked, coming over to stand by Diana.

"I don't know," said Diana. "I'll need to see it."

"Niklaus?" said Elijah.

Klaus was still looking at Josie.

"Nik!" said Rebekah, zooming to his side and shaking him. "Nik, we need that spell. John has Mason."

"Right," said Klaus, leaving the room to go look for the Grimoire in question.

In the end, Diana only needed a few minutes to prepare the spell. It was decided that Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah would go to the Lockwood mansion, along with a number of hybrids, to hold down John for the desiccation spell, while Kol would stay with Diana and Josie in the Mikaelson house, just in case something went wrong with the spell.

Josie was in the living room, looking out the window when she spotted Elijah's reflection in the glass.

"Hey," said Josie, turning around to face him.

"I wanted to inform you that we're leaving presently," said Elijah. "Diana is finished preparing and we are now linked to her."

"Thanks," smiled Josie. "And I'm sorry. That I lied… About where I come from."

Elijah tilted his head and looked at her in silence for a few seconds.

"Tell me," he said. "Were you lying when you told me you only wished to protect your loved ones? When you told me you wanted to see me reunited with my family? That we were friends?"

Josie shook her head. "Of course not. I meant all those things. I sought you out to make an alliance to protect Elena. I told you about the white oak, tried to help you take out Esther."

"Then there is nothing to apologize for, my dear," said Elijah, placing his hands on Josie's shoulders. "You should know I have gone by many different names in my time. And yet I have remained, as ever, myself. An honorable and… forgiving man."

Josie blinked back tears. It was so good to know at least one person here didn't hate her.

"Thank you, Elijah," smiled Josie. "Too bad your brother isn't like that."

"I would not lose hope just yet," said Elijah, looking into her eyes.

"No?"

"Given he is currently threatening Diana with a nasty disembowelment should any harm come to you, he is perhaps not as dispassionate as he would have you think."

Josie smiled slightly. "Be careful, Elijah. Please don't die."

She pulled him in for a hug before he could protest. He gave in and wrapped his arms around her.

A throat clearing interrupted them. Rebekah and Kol stood in the doorway.

"We're leaving," said Rebekah.

Josie released Elijah and a second later, he and Rebekah were gone.

"Not thinking about switching brothers, are you?" teased Kol. "Because honestly, I'd think you'd prefer a dashing, young prince over stuffy, old Elijah."

"Don't be ridiculous," huffed Josie. "Even if Klaus and I are over, Elijah and I are just friends. And you and I-"

"Are just soulmates?" finished Kol, smiling.

Josie smiled, in spite of herself. Kol's mischievous smile was infectious. He clearly wasn't upset with Josie. It wasn't surprising. Kol and Josie were friendly, but they weren't exactly close. Kol probably didn't care that she was from some other world.

"Well, that mystery has been solved. Diana did that when she brought me here. So I would protect you."

"I heard," said Kol. "I suppose she didn't count on you falling for a man who'd tear apart anyone that dared look at you the wrong way."

Josie giggled. "You bit me and then kidnapped me before declaring your undying love. I think that's a little bit more than looking."

"Well I'm glad to know my spell worked halfway," said Diana, who had just come into the room. "Come on, Josie. There are a few things I need to do to make sure you don't die when I stop your heart."

Josie nodded and followed Diana over to the couch. Josie sat down while Diana chanted and rubbed some herbs over Josie's hands. After she was done, they all sat in silence for a while, waiting for Diana to sense the siblings were close to John's blood in order to stop his heart.

Josie was just thinking about her real family back home when they heard a crash outside.

"What was that?" asked Diana, getting up from the sofa.

Kol tilted his head, listening. "I don't know. I don't…"

He was cut off by the body of a hybrid crashing through the bay window next to where Josie and Diana were sitting.

Josie screamed as she was showered by broken glass, while Diana fell to the ground, a large piece of glass deeply embedded in her shoulder. Josie saw John Gilbert suddenly appear in the living room out of the corner of her eye.

Josie immediately dropped to kneel beside Diana, knowing she shouldn't remove the piece of glass, but trying to apply pressure to stop the bleeding as best she could.

Josie watched as Kol growled and attacked John, grabbing him by the shoulders and throwing him against the wall. John was up in a second, pulling the white oak stake out. John lunged for Kol, who dodged him, hitting him with one of the end tables in the room.

Unfortunately, one of the pieces of wood broke off as Kol brought the table down onto John, flying towards Josie. The wood hit her in the chest, pain exploding from the impact site and she immediately fell to the ground, beside Diana.

The next thing she knew, the wood had been pulled out of her chest and a bloody wrist was being shoved in her mouth. She was shocked to discover it was John, not Kol, feeding her his blood.

John was ripped away a second later by Kol, who took John and tossed him on the other side of the room. Strangely, John didn't attack, just stood there, staring intensely at Josie, as if to make sure she was alright.

"What the fuck?" exclaimed Josie, wiping her mouth off, not liking he had forcefed her blood, even if it had probably saved her life. "Why on earth would you…"

She trailed off as it suddenly made sense.

"I was right," said Josie in a shocked voice. "There is nothing special about the blood of an Oracle. Your life isn't linked to Elena's, it's linked to mine."

John narrowed his eyes. "Esther said he'd never let anyone harm you."

Josie scoffed, knowing John meant Klaus. She wondered if it were still true. She wondered if she would share the same fate as Elena now.

"Yet he left you here unprotected," said John, tilting his head.

"Not unprotected," growled Kol, lunging for John once again.

John tried to stab Kol's chest with the white oak, but only managed to get him in the gut. John was rearing back again, when Diana managed to sit up, raising her hands to push John back. Clearly the threat to Kol, and by extension, her own son, helped her ignore the piece of glass in her shoulder.

"Stay out of this, witch!" shouted John, looking at Diana.

Diana just continued chanting, though it was visibly painful for her, and raised her hands to the ceiling. A split second later, the ceiling fell down onto John's head, swallowing him in a large pile of rubble.

Kol took Josie's hand and sped her out of the house. He went back for Diana, who was still chanting, despite the glass in her shoulder and Josie watched in amazement as she collapsed half the house on top of him.

"We should go," said Diana, panting from the effort. "I don't know how long that will hold him."

Kol quickly bit his wrist and let Diana drink from it, pulling out the shard of glass.

Diana, Josie and Kol got into her car and Kol was already on the phone as Josie pulled away.

Kol quickly explained to Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah the situation as Josie drove away from the Mikaelson house in Diana's car.

"They'll be here soon," said Kol, hanging up the phone.

"Good," said Diana, looking a lot better. "In the meantime, we need a place John can't enter where we can complete the desiccation spell uninterrupted."

"The Gilbert House," Josie said immediately. "John doesn't have an invite, but I can invite Kol in."

It only took another minute or two before they were pulling up to the familiar white house. Thankfully, it was empty, so Josie didn't have to deal with the revelation that she'd been lying to her family for the past year.

"You can set up in the living room," Josie told Diana, as she set her bag down on one of the armchairs.

"Darling?" asked Kol, from the doorway.

"Oh right," said Josie, moving back to the door while Diana began to set up her witch-stuff in the living room. "Do you promise to behave?"

"I would never promise that," smirked Kol. "But… I do promise not to use my invitation to harm you or your family."

"Fair enough," smiled Josie. "I hereby invite you inside."

Kol smiled and stepped across the threshold.

"And which one is your bedroom?" he asked cheekily.

Josie rolled her eyes and walked back into the living room to join Diana.

"Everything's set," Diana said. "The ingredients for the portal spell are in the car too."

Josie nodded. "Okay."

"Portal spell?" repeated Kol.

"The portal to go back to my world," explained Josie, plopping down on the couch.

"You're leaving?" asked Kol, sitting beside her.

Josie shrugged. "I don't know. It's home." She looked around the Gilbert House. "As much as I've come to think of this place as home, it's not actually. And now that everyone knows it…"

"You think it won't be the same?" mused Kol.

Josie nodded. "Yeah. Now that my family knows I'm not really their family, will they ever look at me the same way again? Ever feel the same way again?"

"I don't know, love, but you won't find your answers by jumping through a portal."

"You'd think I'd be running away?"

There was the smallest possibility that was true. Okay, it was a large possibility. She was just scared that Elena and Jeremy would never forgive her, never think of her as family again, even though she thought of them as such.

"I think if you truly wish to return home, you shouldn't leave without talking to your loved ones here first," Kol responded.

"That assumes they want to talk to me."

"Not talking about your family anymore are we?" asked Kol.

Josie sighed and flopped back on the couch. "Do you think he'll ever forgive me?"

She didn't say who. They both knew who she was talking about.

"I'm not sure," said Kol, honestly. "Nik doesn't handle disappointment well. And as someone who has frequently disappointed him over the centuries and had a dagger shoved in my heart as a result, I would know."

"But then he would undagger you?"

"When it suited him," said Kol, bitterly. "But then, all would be forgiven. Once he thought I'd been suitably punished."

"He can be such a dick," frowned Josie, forgetting her own predicament for a second to contemplate what Kol had suffered at Klaus' hands over the centuries.

Kol laughed.

"Come quickly," said Diana, interrupting them. "They've made a connection to John.

Josie immediately laid down in front of Diana, knowing somewhere out there, either Klaus, Elijah or Rebekah was close enough to John to start the process of stopping his heart.

Josie closed her eyes, trying to relax and control her breathing, like Diana had told her. Her slowing heartbeat drummed in her ears, nearly deafening her. It was an odd sensation, though not very painful. Diana had promised to try and limit the pain as much as possible.

Her heart got slower and slower, then Diana cursed and her heart immediately started pumping faster again. Josie's eyes flew open.

"What's wrong?" asked Kol, hovering over Josie on the opposite side of Diana.

"I'm losing the connection," said Diana. "Something's wrong. They're not connected to John anymore."

"Maybe they're just fighting or something," said Josie, nervously.

Diana nodded, but didn't say anything, just kept herself poised over Josie, ready to begin the spell again when necessary.

A few minutes passed in uncomfortable silence until Kol's phone rang. It was Elijah.

"What the bloody hell is happening?" asked Kol, not bothering with a greeting.

"We chased the hunter to the abandoned witch house," explained Elijah, on speakerphone. "We had him pinned down in the entryway, Niklaus managed to bite him for good measure, when the spirits of this place intervened."

"What does that mean?" asked Josie, heart pounding. "Is Klaus okay?"

"Rebekah and I were pushed from the house," said Elijah. "Niklaus is alive, but trapped inside with the hunter."

"How do you know he's alive?" asked Kol.

"I can hear them fighting," answered Elijah.

"Tell your witch she needs to come here now!" exclaimed Rebekah from Elijah's side of the phone. "We need someone who can get us in."

"We're leaving now," said Kol, hanging up. He turned to Diana. "Let's go."

Diana shook her head. "I can't get them inside a place inhabited by the Spirits. They aren't exactly happy with me at the moment."

"You have to try!" exclaimed Josie. "What choice do we have?"

Diana turned to look at Josie. "Your life is linked to John's."

Josie's eyes widened. "You want to kill me?"

Kol growled and put a protective arm over Josie.

"I'm not suggesting killing you!" scoffed Diana. "But if your life force is gone, he will die."

"What's the diff… Oh," Josie said, understanding. "You want to send me back."

Diana nodded. "Like I said, the spell is already in place, I just need to open the portal."

Josie swallowed. Could she do this? Leave this world that had become her home? Leave Elena and Jeremy? Her friends? Klaus? Would he even care? Would anyone? Now that the truth had been revealed, they probably thought she didn't belong anyway.

She sighed, remembering when she'd first come here. How she'd sought out witch after witch, coven after coven, in the hopes of returning home. She always meant to go back, right? But she loved Klaus. Loved him to the deepest parts of her soul. If there was even the slightest chance he still felt the same way, she didn't want to leave him.

In the end, it didn't matter what she wanted. There was nothing left to bring her back from the dead and becoming a vampire meant she never got to go home (plus since she'd had both John and Klaus' blood, who knows if she'd even turn after dying). There wasn't time to figure something else out. John had to die, now. Klaus was trapped with him.

Josie took a deep breath. "Then open the portal and send me back."

Diana nodded. "I'll need five minutes to prepare. Hope your hybrid lasts that long."

She left the Gilbert House to get the needed supplies from her car.

Josie looked at Kol, who'd remained silent during the exchange.

"You going to tell me I'm making a mistake?" asked Josie, eyebrows raised.

"It's your decision, darling," said Kol, shaking his head, though he was clearly thinking of his and his family's well-being, not that Josie blamed him. "My brother may never forgive you for not saying good-bye."

"Well, considering it's a one-way trip, I'll just have to live with that," said Josie. "But… there are some things I need to say to him. To my family too."

Josie dug in her bag for a notebook and sat down on the couch. By the time Diana had prepared everything she needed, Josie had written two short letters. One to Elena and Jeremy, the other to Klaus.

"I'll ensure they're delivered," said Kol, putting both of them in his pocket.

Josie nodded at Diana. "I'm ready."

Diana raised her hands and started chanting. The air in the room started to swirl. A light appeared near one of the windows and grew and grew into a shimmering pool of green light. The portal.

She turned to Kol. "Tell everyone I said something meaningful and profound?"

"No!" came a voice from the entryway.

Josie turned around to see Elena and Jeremy standing there. Kol immediately rushed to hold them back, not wanting them to interfere with the spell.

"Jo, stop!" screamed Elena, trying to get past Kol. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going back," said Josie, her eyes filling with tears at the sight of the two people that had become her real siblings since she'd been there.

"Don't, Jo!" shouted Jeremy, also struggling against Kol. "Is this about what happened? It doesn't matter where you came from or that you're not technically a Gilbert. I love you and you're my sister."

"He's right!" shouted Elena. "Don't leave!"

"Don't," said Josie, tears now streaming down her face. "Don't make this harder, please. I have to go. It's the only way. My life is linked to John's. That's what Esther meant when she said he'd die someday."

"This is crazy, Jo!" yelled Jeremy.

"We'll find another way to stop John," Elena pleaded. "Don't do this. Don't leave us."

Josie just shook her head. "There's no other way," she said, sadly. "We can't wait. Klaus is trapped with him. All of his sireline is at stake. And I… I think it was always going to end like this."

"Who told you there's no other way?" asked Elena. "Was it her?" He indicated Diana. "She'd do anything to save her son. She doesn't care about you. We do. Don't leave us, Jo. You're our family."

"I…" said Josie, her resolve faltering.

Maybe they were right. Maybe Diana could break into the witch house. Klaus had bitten John after all, so he was probably weak now. And maybe Klaus could hold John off until they figured out a way in.

Josie was just about to turn to Diana to tell her to stop when she was hit by a vision. She saw Klaus, standing against John, trapped in the witch house. Klaus looked weak, as if he'd been fighting for days without blood. John didn't look great either, but he finally managed to get the best of Klaus (possibly with the spirits' help) and plunge the white oak stake into Klaus' heart.

Josie watched as Klaus' body burned. Then saw his sireline perish as well- Katherine, Anna, Pearl, the Salvatores, all the hybrids, including Tyler and Mason, as well as Caroline.

When she emerged from the vision, she blinked, unable to believe what she had seen. She smiled slightly, the decision now easy.

"I have to go," said Josie, turning back to face the portal. "Klaus will die if I don't."

Elena and Jeremy didn't have a response. They knew she'd just had a vision.

"We'll bring you back," said Elena.

"No," sighed Josie, facing her siblings for one last time. "Maybe it's time. I never wanted to play God. And I certainly don't want anyone else sacrificed to bring me here again."

"It's going to fade soon," Diana cut in. "The portal will only stay open for so long."

"No!" screamed Elena and Jeremy, desperately trying to throw off Kol.

"I'm sorry," cried Josie, turning toward the portal. "Tell everyone, tell Klaus… I'm sorry."

Then Josie closed her eyes and jumped into the portal.


	64. Ain't No Sunshine

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews on the last chapter! I was really surprised by how many people left a comment. In fact, I managed to get this out a day earlier than I was expecting :-)**

 **I had always planned for Josie to go back to her world. Given how she was taken involuntarily, I think it was important for her to go back at some point, to reflect on her life in her world vs TVD. Plus, as always, her going back will move certain parts of the story along.**

 **Also, until now, this story has been told from Josie's perspective. Given she had knowledge of the show, plus visions, it was easy enough to tell the story from only one viewpoint (and it's generally easier to read, I think). But now, with where the story is (Josie in her world, everyone else back in TVD), that's not possible. So from now on, I'll be writing from different viewpoints. Let me know what you think.**

"I expected more," smirked John, even as Klaus sent him crashing through one of the interior walls of the witch house.

Klaus watched as John took a split second longer to get up than he should.

"Perhaps the venom flowing through your veins is having a detrimental effect on your perception," said Klaus, returning the smirk.

"No," laughed John. "I just mean, Original family of Vampires. All gathered together. And I still managed to trap you here… You know it's only a matter of time before I drive my stake through your heart. There's nothing here that can kill me."

"No creature is truly immortal," said Klaus with more confidence than he felt. "We will find your weakness."

John laughed again as if he knew some secret Klaus didn't. It made Klaus uneasy.

"It won't take long to find," said John, still laughing. "My niece already figured it out."

Klaus smiled at that. Despite his anger over her lies and deceit, his pride at Josie's cleverness was undeniable.

"Then it is only a matter of time before you are destroyed," returned Klaus.

John laughed again. "Only if your girlfriend is feeling suicidal."

A few seconds of confusion and finally it clicked into place. Why Esther had needed Josie's blood, what Esther had meant when she'd told Elena and Josie that John wouldn't live forever.

Klaus growled. "How dare you…"

His threat was cut off when John suddenly collapsed to the floor. At first, Klaus thought he was just overcome from the werewolf venom, but when he saw John's skin begin to gray, he was terrified.

"No!" he shouted, speeding over to John's body. "No! You aren't… You can't…"

But John just laid there, unmoving, clearly dead, which meant Josie was dead too. No, she couldn't be dead. He loved her, swore he would protect her. All of his earlier anger vanished. What did it matter? Her real name, where she was from? If only he could go back… Then Klaus smiled, remembering. He had healed her just a few short hours ago. She wasn't dead. Merely in transition.

He sighed, knowing it wasn't what she wanted, at least not yet, but it was better than being truly dead. He was already thinking through what piece of lapis lazuli he would give her to walk in the daylight.

Klaus grabbed the white oak stake, stood up and flashed out of the house. This time the spirits let him leave.

Elijah was on the phone while Rebekah fairly screamed when she saw Klaus emerge from the house.

"Nik!" exclaimed Rebekah, enveloping him in a hug. "How did you escape?"

"The hunter is dead," answered Klaus, showing Rebekah the white oak.

"How?" asked Rebekah.

Klaus was about to reply when Elijah began speaking into the phone.

"Gone?" said Elijah. "What do you mean gone?"

Using their vampire hearing, Rebekah and Klaus could easily hear Kol on the other end of the line.

"She went back," said Kol. "To her home world."

Klaus blinked, unable to believe what he was hearing. Gone? She couldn't be gone. Why would she leave him? He knew she was upset about his dismissal earlier today, but to just leave? How could she do that?

"I don't understand," frowned Rebekah. "Josie left?"

Kol sighed. "We learned that Josie's life was linked to John's. Diana was not confident she could penetrate the witch house, so she opened a portal and sent Josie through."

"She what?" shouted Klaus, getting angrier by the second.

So this was the witch's doing. She would pay for taking Josie away.

"She did it to save your life, Nik," said Kol. "Once she was gone, her link to John was severed. The hunter is dead, yes?"

"That is correct," said Elijah, looking extra stoic at the news that Josie was gone.

"So bring her back!" growled Klaus, shouting into the phone, despite the fact that Kol could hear him perfectly well from a distance. "Get the witch to open another portal and bring her back."

"It's not that simple, Nik," said Kol. "These types of spells…"

"You tell the witch to make it simple or I'll tear out her heart and shove a dagger through yours!" threatened Klaus.

Elijah sighed, looking at his phone. "He hung up."

Klaus was gone from the clearing before Elijah finished the sentence.

"And now?" asked Rebekah sadly.

She had been friends with Josie too, after all. Josie had welcomed Rebekah into her friend group at school with open arms. She felt badly about her earlier coldness. She had just wanted Nik to know her loyalty was to him.

"Take care of the hunter's body," said Elijah. "I shall take care of Niklaus."

"What will he do if he can't get her back?" asked Rebekah.

"I hope for everyone's sake we do not have to answer that question," said Elijah, taking off after Klaus.

When Klaus arrived at the Gilbert Residence a few minutes later, Elena and Jeremy were sitting on the couch. Elena was crying and Jeremy look distraught as he held his older sister. Kol was drinking whiskey out of a glass and Diana was nowhere in sight.

"Where's the witch?" demanded Klaus, speeding inside without bothering to greet anyone.

"You scared her off with your threats, Klaus," accused Jeremy, angrily.

"You let her go?" asked Klaus angrily, flashing in front of Kol.

"I asked quite nicely that she remain," Kol said. "She declined and snapped my neck."

"My useless baby brother," growled Klaus. "No matter, she will be found."

Klaus pulled out his phone and called Mason, who said he'd immediately mobilize a team. In the meantime, Elijah had arrived. He was crouching in front of Jeremy and Elena.

"I would not worry," said Elijah, comfortingly. "Niklaus will not rest until she is back."

"That's not what she wanted," said Kol.

Elijah stood up. "What?"

"She said she didn't want to come back," said Jeremy.

"She wasn't thinking straight," said Elena, shaking her head. "She was just upset about this afternoon. And who could blame her? After how you treated her!" Elena stood up and looked at Klaus with accusing eyes. "She loved you and you just left her alone with a witch that could send her back. Who knows what Diana told her?"

Klaus growled. "You weren't exactly happy to hear the news either, sweetheart."

Elijah sighed. "What did Josie say exactly?"

"She said she didn't want the responsibility of the visions anymore," said Jeremy. "And she didn't want anyone to be sacrificed."

"Sacrificed?" repeated Elijah.

"The spell, as is often the case with Expression, requires a human sacrifice," explained Kol. "Twelve humans, to be precise."

"She didn't want that on her conscience," said Jeremy.

"So we find twelve people in hospice or something," said Elena, wiping her smudged mascara. "She did it to protect me when he sacrificed me to break the hybrid curse."

"She didn't have a choice then, Elena," argued Jeremy.

"Don't you want her back, Jer?" asked Elena.

"Of course I do!" exclaimed Jeremy. "How could you think I wouldn't? But don't you think we should respect her wishes?"

"He makes a valid point," said Kol.

"You stay out of this," said Klaus, eyes narrowed in Kol's direction.

"No, Nik," said Kol, voice raised slightly in anger. "You don't get to control everything. Josie made her wishes perfectly clear and if you really loved her…"

Kol was cut off by Klaus angrily attacking him, punching him in the face. Elijah intervened immediately, pulling his brothers apart.

"That is enough!" commanded Elijah. "We are guests here. Control yourselves."

"He bloody started it!" exclaimed Kol. "Doesn't want to hear the truth. You pushed her away and she left. She's probably better off."

Klaus lunged for Kol again, but Elijah held him firm.

"There's no need to antagonize Niklaus," said Elijah.

"Always side with him, don't you, Elijah?" asked Kol, shaking his head. "Even when he's being a selfish ass."

He turned to Klaus and took two pieces of paper out of his back pocket.

"If you won't listen to me, maybe you'll listen to her," said Kol, handing Klaus one and giving the other to Elena and Jeremy.

Then Kol walked out the front door of the Gilbert House.

Everyone was silent while they read what Josie had written. When Klaus was done, he slipped the piece of paper into his pocket.

"I'm getting her back," he said, firmly.

Elena looked at him and nodded. Klaus turned his gaze to Jeremy, who was still staring at Josie's note.

"I just hope she forgives us," said Jeremy, shaking his head.

"Do what you have to do, Klaus," said Elena. "Bring her back to us."

Klaus nodded and he and Elijah left the Gilbert House as quickly as they'd come.

When Josie jumped into the swirling pool of green light, she wasn't sure what to expect. After all, she'd been asleep the last time she'd gone through. It was the oddest sensation, as if she was floating on nothingness. There was no sound, nothing in sight, only an overwhelming darkness.

Just as she was about to feel claustrophobic, the green light appeared again and she felt something soft underneath her. Opening her eyes, she saw she was in her bedroom, laying on her bed. The one back home. Grasping for her phone, she checked the date and realized it was the same day she had left, a little before midnight.

She turned on the light and went to the mirror. She stared at the image before her. Whatever spell Diana had placed on her to look a year or two younger was gone. Her normal 19-year-old self stared back at her.

Had she dreamed it all? Was that even possible? She'd only been asleep for an hour at the most. She bit her lip, bringing her hand to the back of her neck. Her eyes widened when she felt the bite mark Klaus had given her so many times before still there. Looking in the mirror, she could make out the faint scar of his bite.

So it had been real… She went to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face.

"I thought you were going to bed early?" came a voice from behind her.

Looking up, Josie saw her mother, Karen, in the mirror.

"Mom!" she exclaimed, turning around to give her a hug. "Oh my god!"

Her mother, for her part, hugged Josie back, though she seemed a little surprised at her tight hug.

"You okay?" asked Karen, stepping back to look at Josie critically. "You haven't been drinking, have you, honey?"

"No," said Josie, tearing up a little bit at the mother she hadn't seen in over a year. "Just… uh... feels like I haven't seen you in a while."

"Well that's what happens when you go to school across the country," said Karen, shaking her head.

Josie smiled. She remembered she had been on Winter Break from college when she'd been pulled from her childhood home. Her older sister, Sophia, had already graduated and moved several states away, while her father lived in Canada with his second wife, so it was just Karen, Josie and Doug, Karen's husband, in the house.

Karen gave Josie another hug and then announced she was going to bed. Josie had a hard time falling asleep, finally dozing off in the early morning hours.

When she awoke, both her mother and stepfather had gone to work. Josie fixed herself some breakfast before heading out to take a drive around the city, so different from the small town of Mystic Falls.

Instead of feeling joy at seeing her childhood city, she felt odd. Disconnected. But when one of her high school friends texted her about a dinner they were having that night, a small reunion of everyone back in town for the school break, she happily accepted the invitation.

She went and it was fun, but she still felt that same sense of disconnect. She missed everyone terribly in Mystic Falls- Elena, Jeremy, Elijah, her friends, Rebekah and… Klaus. Her heart ached when she thought of him. How their last conversation had been full of hostility and disappointment.

She told herself she was being silly and that she would adjust soon enough. After all, this world was a lot better than the one she'd left. Safer, at least. There were no monsters here. No vampires, werewolves, witches. No one out to get her because of her visions, no one wanting to drain her of blood.

And yet, as her friends talked about their classes at school, the parties, the hook-ups, she couldn't help but feel a little bored. Had she become addicted to the danger and excitement of life in Mystic Falls? No, she refused to accept that. She'd get back into her old routine soon. She was sure of it.

It had been four weeks. Four weeks and two days, precisely, since Klaus had last seen Josie. He sat at the table in his hotel room, reading his emails and drinking a glass of blood.

Most were from his various contacts, people who had been looking for Diana, or really any witch that could perform the spell needed. He'd since learned that this spell and this witch were one-of-a-kind. Not even Diana's own coven knew she had been practicing Expression in this way.

That was why he found himself in this small town in the Italian countryside. He had arranged a meeting with the head of Diana's coven for this afternoon. He'd brought over a dozen hybrids with him to Italy. There had been even more that had volunteered, but they were needed elsewhere- either in Mystic Falls, guarding his home and his doppelganger, or searching out other leads.

He supposed it shouldn't have surprised him- that so many had volunteered to come with him on his most promising lead yet. The hybrids had been noticeably disturbed by Josie's absence. She'd made friends with more of them than he'd realized and had meant a lot to them and the cohesion of the pack.

He'd overheard Mason and James talking one evening, a week after Josie had left. Mason had remarked that Klaus seemed angrier, harsher and more short-tempered now that Josie was gone. Klaus had been about to announce his presence and see that Mason was suitably punished for his insolence when James had explained how difficult it must be for Klaus to be without his mate and partner. Mason had agreed, remembering how moody he had been after Rebekah had broken up with him.

Mason and Rebekah were still together and, loathe though Klaus was to admit it, made a very good team in the search for Diana. In fact, it had been due to their efforts that Klaus found himself in this Italian town. Mason and Rebekah had been the ones who had found where Diana's coven was currently residing.

Elijah had been a big help with that, knowing Diana and her coven for almost two decades. However, Elijah had been sticking close to Mystic Falls lately. It was clear he wanted Josie to return, but was reluctant to help directly as it seemed to go against her wishes.

Still, he kept his opinion to himself, for which Klaus was grateful. He also provided the Gilberts with regular updates on Klaus' efforts to get Josie back during their morning training sessions that he now joined nearly every day. Klaus was even more grateful for that as previously both Elena and Jeremy had taken to calling at least twice a day for updates on their missing sister.

Kol, on the other hand, had not kept his opinion to himself. He continued to remind Klaus of what Josie had said and, after a few too many dagger threats, had left Mystic Falls. Of course, Klaus knew their near-constant arguments had little to do with Josie.

Kol was resentful of Klaus' controlling nature and was annoyed that, once again, he had the entire family (plus an entire pack of hybrids), dancing to his tune. Klaus had no idea where he was, though he suspected Kol was in contact with Rebekah, possibly and Elijah.

Klaus sighed and pulled out the worn piece of paper from his wallet. He must have read her letter a hundred times, even though he'd long since memorized every word she'd written.

 _Dear Klaus,_

 _If you're reading this, then hopefully the plan worked and by leaving your world, I've killed John and kept you and your family safe. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth about where I came from. By the time I met you, the lie had become so ingrained in my identity, I'm not sure I even recognized it as an untruth._

 _Please know, however, that my feelings for you are real. I love you. I'm sorry I can't be there for you anymore, but if our relationship taught you one thing, I hope it's this- you are a person worthy of love. When the time is right, I hope you are able to open your heart and find happiness with someone else. You deserve it._

 _All my love,_

 _Josie_

 _P.S. I know it's terrible to put this in a letter, but by breaking the hybrid curse, you are now able to father children with a werewolf. One of nature's loopholes. I hope you consider it. You'd make a great father one day. If you do, please find a way to contact your mother about a woman named Dahlia. She will be a threat your child._

He hadn't given much thought to what she'd written in her post-script. Contemplating fatherhood and some unknown threat named Dahlia seemed so unimportant in light of her absence.

It was impossible to put into words how much he missed her. Her smile, her laughter. The way she teased him, infuriated him. The way she demanded the best from him, challenged him. The way she believed in him, believed in his goodness, his strength. He hadn't realized how much he relied on her, needed her, until she was gone.

Klaus sat back and sipped his drink. He imagined her here, with him. How she would approach him with her teasing smile. She would make a joke about how they should get a bit dirty before taking a shower together, then climb into his lap and start kissing him.

He would hold her hips and press himself against her, positioning her so she was straddling him. She would moan as he trailed kisses down her jaw, tilting her head back to give him better access. She would whisper how much she loved him, how much she wanted him, begging him to take her.

The buzzing of his phone brought him back to reality and he sighed as he looked down at the problem his wandering thoughts had created. He still had an hour before he had to meet the witch leader.

He reached into his pants and gripped his length, letting his thoughts drift back to Josie as he stroked himself.

He could picture her in his lap, grinding herself with abandon on him. He would growl, pick her up and toss her on the bed. Kneeling between her spread legs, he would strip them both quickly, not caring about ruined clothes in the process.

It had been so long since he'd been inside her, he ached with the deprivation. Reaching down, he would feel how wet she was, proof of how much she wanted him, needed him. He wouldn't waste any time plunging into her. She would cry out his name as he slammed into her again and again, playing with her clit until she screamed out her release.

Then he would flip her over and he would feel his wolf taking over, overjoyed at being reunited with its mate. He would continue to pound into her until he could feel her release approaching. And just when he felt her tightening around him, he would lean down and bite her, claiming her, marking her as his once again.

A few more thrusts into her and he would come as well, filling her to capacity. Afterwards, he would hold her, still inside her, kissing her neck, telling her how happy he was to have her back and how he would never, ever let her go again.

Klaus blinked, looking down at the mess he had made of his pants and shirt. Cursing, he quickly stripped and went into the shower, wishing Josie were there to join him.

"Everything okay, honey?" asked Karen, as they sat together in the kitchen after Josie's dinner with her friends.

"Yeah," said Josie. "Why?"

"You seem… preoccupied."

"I'm fine, Mom," said Josie, shaking her head.

Karen laughed. "What's his name?"

Josie sighed and flopped her head on the table. "It doesn't matter. He dumped me."

She wondered if she and Klaus would have reconciled if she hadn't had to leave. She guessed she'd never know.

"Oh, honey," said Karen, rubbing Josie's back in sympathy. "How come I haven't heard about this guy before?"

Josie shrugged. "I don't know."

Karen smiled sadly. "I know you're growing up and becoming your own person, but you know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"I know," nodded Josie. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, honey. And maybe this guy will surprise you when you get back to school."

Josie bit her lip, wondering if Klaus would try and get her back. Even though she didn't want anyone sacrificed in her name and she didn't want to leave her home again, she couldn't deny that there was a not-small part of her that hoped he would try and bring her back.

She leaned her head on her mother's shoulder, knowing it was out of her hands at this point.

When Josie woke up in her bed the next morning, she was sadder than she thought she'd be. He hadn't done it. Diana had been right there. Josie was sure if Klaus and her siblings really wanted her back, they would have brought her home either the night she left or the next. Now, it was the morning of the second day and she was still here.

This time, she got up and went for a jog, determined to get back into a routine. They clearly didn't want her back, which was just fine. She didn't want twelve people to die for her; she didn't want the responsibility of visions. She could date normal people who didn't bite her to show affection and who didn't have a thousand years of emotional baggage.

She stopped by Starbucks after her jog and ran into an old friend, Sally, who she'd seen at the party last night. When Sally invited her to go bowling with some friends that night, she agreed, knowing it was probably best to keep busy.

It felt… nice. So normal. No talk of vampires or villains or blood. No wondering if someone was listening in on their conversation, or if someone would suddenly appear from nowhere, or the threat of a vision to throw the evening off. Life was good. Simple, but good. Simple could work. It would have to.

As she went to sleep that night, she fell asleep almost instantly, no longer concerned if she would wake up in her own bed or not.

Klaus, Rebekah and Mason stood opposite the small clothing shop where the meeting was meant to take place. It was closed for the midday break. The coven's leader, Francesca, owned the shop and had agreed to meet them there.

The dozen or so hybrids that had come to Italy were scattered along the street. Some were sipping espressos at a nearby café, while others were digging into large plates of pasta at the local trattoria, and still others were in positions on the roof opposite the shop.

Klaus, Rebekah and Mason listened intently to the inside of the clothing shop.

"What do you think?" asked Mason, breaking the silence. "I count six in the shop. Maybe seven?"

Rebekah smiled affectionately at Mason's inexperience.

"You're half right," she said. "There are six people."

"And a dog," smirked Klaus.

"Let's hope he doesn't bite," said Mason, shaking his head as they crossed the street.

When they entered the shop, four women and two men were standing in a semi-circle.

"Welcome to Ravenna," said one of the women, moving forward. "I am Francesca."

She turned to the rest of the group and introduced them, though Klaus forgot their names as soon as she'd spoken them. They were all witches, no doubt.

"My sister, Rebekah," said Klaus, when she'd finished. "And my Beta, Mason."

Francesca and the rest of the witches tilted their heads in greeting.

"Now that we've gotten the formalities out of the way, what can I do for you?" asked Francesca with a tight smile.

Klaus noted that she didn't ask them to sit, nor did she offer them anything to drink.

"We're looking for one of your coven," said Klaus. "Diana Russo."

One of the witches made a hissing noise, while the others started to murmur amongst themselves.

"We do not speak that name here," said Francesca, frowning. "That… person has been shunned. She was caught performing dark magic."

"We're aware," said Rebekah, rolling her eyes. "We just want to talk to her."

"And ask her to perform more of the same, no doubt," said Francesca, eyes narrowed.

Klaus growled. "What we want with her is our business, witch."

Francesca held her hand up. "We will not help you."

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear," said Klaus in a dangerous tone. "I'm not asking."

Francesca laughed. "Three vampires are no match for six witches."

"I'm a hybrid, sweetheart," said Klaus, speaking the magic words that would call forth the rest of the pack. "The Original Hybrid, in fact."

He smiled as the hybrids instantly appeared in the shop.

"Now, let's try this again, shall we?" asked Klaus, zooming to stand in front of Francesca and holding her throat, hybrid face beginning to show. "Where is Diana Russo?"

"Vampiro, stronzo!" spat Francesca.

"That was a bit rude," said Rebekah, squeezing the neck of the witch she held firm.

Klaus turned to Francesca again. "Do keep in mind we've come all the way from America. And traveling can make one quite peckish."

He nodded to the group and everyone immediately began feeding on the witch they were holding.

Francesca's eyes were wide as she watched the hybrids and Rebekah draining the life from her fellow witches.

"Okay, Okay," she said quickly. "She's in Vienna. She and her husband own an apartment near the Town Hall. Schmidgasse, number 15."

"Your cooperation is appreciated," smiled Klaus, making no attempt to stop the hybrids from feeding.

"Tell them to stop!" Francesca exclaimed. "I told you where she is!"

"And I do appreciate it," said Klaus, sincerely. "But something tells me if you know where she is, you can warn her that we're coming. And I'm afraid I can't take that chance."

He felt his fangs elongate and wasted no time in sinking them into Francesca's neck. He drank and drank until he could no longer hear her heart beating.

He dropped her body to the ground and turned to the rest of the group, who were just finishing feeding as well. For a split second he wondered what Josie would think of the trail of bodies he'd left in his quest to return her.

"Call the airfield," he told Mason. "We're going to Vienna."

One step closer, he told himself. He would have her back in his arms soon.


	65. The Road Not Taken

**A/N: Thank you so much for the comments and questions! Here are a few answers:**

 **Josie in TVD is 17 years old, even though her true age is 19. Diana aged her down to be Jeremy's twin as part of the 'create Josie Gilbert' spell, mostly because Diana was being spiteful about Josie's attitude towards helping her. I did this because Diana's characterization as selfish and vindictive will be important.**

 **For the reviewer who wanted to know what city Josie is from and where she's going to college- I've included that in this chapter just for you! (Hadn't really thought about it before, honestly)**

 **There were quite a few comments about how disparate the passage of time is in Josie's world vs TVD. There's a pretty simple explanation that I'll give next chapter. The explanation is simple, but I did do it for a specific reason...**

When they landed in Vienna, Klaus took a deep breath as they stepped off the plane. He immediately sent four hybrids to Diana's apartment. Observe, but not engage, were his orders. He knew he had to tread carefully. Diana was obviously a powerful witch and he needed to ensure she would perform the spell for him.

A few hours later, he found himself knocking on Diana's door. Diana and her husband had arrived home approximately 30 minutes ago and were currently having a late dinner.

Diana's face was the picture of shock when she opened the door to reveal Klaus, Rebekah and Mason standing there. She instinctively backed up a few paces.

"Hello, witch," smirked Klaus, enjoying the look of fear and surprise on her face.

"You," she breathed.

"Honey, who is it?" asked her husband, coming into the entranceway of the apartment.

"Get back," said Diana, though it was unclear if she was speaking to her husband or the three vampires outside her door.

"Now, now," scolded Klaus. "Is that any way to treat an invited guest?"

Diana's eyes narrowed. "You are most certainly not invited in!"

"Really?" asked Klaus, eyeing the doorway and the invisible barrier that kept vampires out of people's homes.

"That's right," smirked Diana. "My husband is on vervain and I'm a witch, so good luck getting an invitation, hybrid."

Rebekah cocked her head. "It seems your reputation has fallen into disrepair as of late. There was a time when anyone would quiver at the mere mention of the name 'Klaus'."

Klaus clenched his jaw in anger, mostly because Rebekah was correct.

"Then perhaps a demonstration?" he mused, casually.

He smirked as he stepped over the threshold of Diana's home and beckoned Rebekah and Mason to join him.

Diana's eyes were wide. "How…"

Klaus sped over to Diana's husband and wrapped his hand around the man's neck.

"You ought to take greater care," said Klaus. "It seems your mother is still on the deed to this place. A quick trip to the Austrian countryside and we were easily able to obtain an invitation."

"What did you do with my mother?" gasped Diana, warily looking at the chokehold Klaus had on her husband.

"I left her in peace," said Klaus, squeezing the husband's neck. "However, I can always revisit that decision."

"Just do the bloody spell," said Rebekah, rolling her eyes. "Get Josie back so we can go home."

"Diana, no," said her husband. "We talked about this… twelve souls…"

"What other choice do we have?" asked Diana.

"There's always a choice, Di," answered her husband.

He produced a small stake he'd hidden in the back of his jeans and tried to stab Klaus with it.

"I would rather die than be party to this again!" exclaimed her husband.

Klaus growled as he caught the hand that held the stake. "As you wish."

And with a deft flick of his wrist, Klaus snapped the husband's neck and let his body drop to the floor.

"No!" screamed Diana, lunging for Klaus, only to be stopped by Rebekah and Mason.

"Was that really necessary, Nik?" asked Rebekah, exasperated.

Klaus snarled. "Was his idea."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Can you please just bring her back? I've had enough of his ill temper to last a few lifetimes…"

Klaus growled and turned to Diana, ignoring the tears streaming down her face.

"I'm going to make this very simple," said Klaus in a dangerous voice. "Bring her back now, or your husband won't be the only loved one you lose today."

"And what's to stop you from killing me once I bring her back?" asked Diana, unable to tear her eyes away from her husband's body.

"Nothing," admitted Klaus, digging into his pocket and pulling out a ring. "But if you refuse, then I'm afraid there's no hope for dear Christopher."

Klaus tossed the ring to Diana who caught it and stared at it.

"What did you do to him?" asked Diana, looking at the daylight ring of her vampire son, Christopher, in her hand.

Klaus shrugged. "Christopher and I had a little chat earlier and I convinced him to stay in Karlsplatz until noon tomorrow."

Karlsplatz was a large plaza in the center of Vienna. Without his daylight ring, Christopher would be dead once the sun rose.

"So that gives you about ten hours to bring Josie back," said Mason, looking at his watch.

"That's not possible," said Diana through her tears.

Klaus growled. "Make it possible."

"It took me days to prepare the first spell," exclaimed Diana. "I need a long list of herbs, the heart of a goat born under a full moon, virgin's blood, not to mention twelve sacrifices."

"Well, we already killed six witches today," shrugged Rebekah.

"What?" asked Diana, eyes wide. "Who?"

"That's none of your concern," said Klaus, dismissively.

Diana looked like she wanted to say something confrontational back, but instead took a deep breath, most likely remembering her son's life was on the line.

"I'll need a drop of blood from everyone who performed a sacrifice," she said. "If someone performed two sacrifices, then two drops of blood."

Mason had already picked up his phone to call the hybrids to begin gathering everything they would need. He left to coordinate their efforts while Diana began to set up for the spell in the main room of the apartment. Rebekah had remained with Klaus to ensure Diana didn't try to escape.

It had been several hours and many hybrids had come and gone in the apartment, handing over various ingredients, and, for those that had performed sacrifices, drops of their blood. Diana hadn't said anything to anyone, just worked quietly, murmuring Latin, burning candles and other various objects. It was clear this was a very complex spell.

"I'm bored," sighed Rebekah.

She was sitting on the kitchen counter, swinging her legs and playing on her phone.

"So sorry I can't entertain you," said Klaus, who was typing out a message to Elijah.

According to his phone it was 4.30 in the morning, local Vienna time, which made it 10.30 the night before in Mystic Falls.

"Sunrise is in two hours," said Diana, looking at the clock. "I still need comfrey root, caraway seeds, and a lotus pod. Plus the goat heart and the blood for the last two sacrifices."

As if on cue, Klaus' phone beeped.

"Mason will be here shortly with the rest of the ingredients," said Klaus, reading Mason's message.

"Finally!" exclaimed Rebekah, hopping off the counter. "What a dreadful night. I didn't think I could play another game of Candy Crush."

"Yes, how awful for you," said Diana, eyes narrowed. "My husband is dead and my son's life is threatened, but no, your boredom is the worst."

Klaus chuckled as Rebekah put on a sour face.

"You expect us to feel sorry for you?" demanded Rebekah. "If you hadn't run away four weeks ago, this wouldn't have happened."

Diana scoffed. "I was only trying to do right by Josie."

"Bollocks," said Rebekah, rolling her eyes. "You were just afraid of what Nik would do after he found out you sent his girlfriend away."

"I just opened the door," said Diana. "She's the open who walked through it."

"And whose idea was that?" growled Klaus.

Diana didn't say anything, just went back to looking at her Grimoire, apparently unwilling to risk Klaus' wrath with further argument.

Klaus went back to looking at his phone, but her words bothered him more than he wanted to admit. It was something he'd wondered constantly over the past four weeks that Josie had been gone.

He had to get her back. That much he knew. But he couldn't, wouldn't, make her stay if she didn't want to. And what would she say when she heard what he had done to get her back? Would she forgive him? Realize it was all for her, because that's how much he loved her?

The door to the apartment opening interrupted his thoughts. A few seconds later, Mason came in with a paper bag that he handed to Diana.

"The rest of your herbs and the goat's heart," he said.

"And the sacrifice blood?" asked Diana, taking the ingredients.

Mason held out his hand. "Where do you want it?"

Diana grabbed a bowl from the altar she had set up and had Mason squeeze out two drops of blood into the bowl.

"Stand back," commanded Diana, putting the bowl of blood back on the altar.

Klaus and Rebekah retreated to the far side of the room.

Diana knelt before the altar and started chanting. It started out as a murmur then gradually got louder and louder. She waved her hand over a bowl of herbs and they were suddenly on fire.

The air swirled around the apartment, subtly at first, but growing in intensity as Diana took the goat heart and dipped it into the bowl of blood. She was practically shouting the Latin words now and she stood, taking an elaborately carved knife and slicing her own arm, waving the blood spatters around the altar while the wind reached a new velocity.

Klaus caught Diana's reflection in the metallic sheen of the bowl and her eyes were cloudy and there was blood dripping from her nose.

Rebekah looked at Klaus with a worried glance.

"Is something wrong?" she shouted.

There was a blinding flash of light and Diana screamed before collapsing on the floor.

o – o – o – o – o

When Josie woke up in her real bed the next morning, she was disappointed, but not very surprised. No doubt if they were going to bring her back, it would have happened by now. She really needed to just accept it and move on.

She spent the day reviewing some of her class materials, remembering what it was like to be a sophomore in college again, rather than a junior in high school.

That night she went to a party hosted by a friend who went to a local college and, due to a very generous trust fund, had his own apartment in downtown Baltimore.

She had a great time catching up with some people she hadn't seen in a few years. At one point, the girl she was talking to nudged her and tilted her head toward the door. Josie smiled when she saw Darren Fields walking in.

Darren and Josie had dated for nearly a year back in high school, before he had gone off to college (he was a year older). They had starred together in the school musical, Guys and Dolls, where she had played the Sarah Brown to his Sky Masterson. It had been a fairly amicable break-up, considering, but they hadn't really kept in touch.

She was only mildly surprised when he made his way over to her later on that night.

"Remember me?" he asked, giving her that sweet, if slightly cocky smile that had made her swoon back in high school.

The one that reminded her of Klaus.

She laughed. "David, was it? No, wait. Dean."

Darren laughed and gave her a hug. "My poor wounded pride."

"The Darren I remember didn't have a problem with that…"

"I'm afraid not much is changed," he said with mock sadness. "So how's California, Josie? You planning on staying at Berkeley for your Master's in Social Work?"

Josie smiled, remembering what a thoughtful guy Darren was. They hadn't spoken in nearly a year and he still remembered where she went to school and that she was planning on doing a Master's in Social Work.

It reminded her of Klaus. When he'd gotten her that necklace to protect her instead of bodyguards, how he knew her drink order and her favorite dessert. How he'd remembered she'd wanted to learn archery, so he'd gotten her a special bow and gave her private lessons.

She shook her head and tried to focus on the conversation. She had to stop thinking about Klaus so much.

"California is good," said Josie, though she hadn't been there in a while of course. "How's Boston?"

Darren returned her smiled and told her all about his life at Boston University. They talked for the rest of the night, easily slipping back into their former rapport. When she announced she was tired, he offered to walk her to her car as it was late.

"Thanks for this," said Josie, as they walked to her car.

She needed to remind herself that just because there were no supernatural creatures here, it didn't mean it wasn't dangerous. Baltimore wasn't an especially safe city, once you wandered out of the tourist areas.

"No problem," said Darren. "I remember when I used to walk you to your car every day after rehearsal."

Josie laughed. "You said it was because you wanted to run a few extra lines for the musical."

Darren laughed as well. "When really I was just wanted to spend more time with you."

"Feels like a million years ago," said Josie, shaking her head.

Another life too. Someone else's life, she thought, though she pushed down that thought. It didn't matter now. That life didn't want her, no matter how much she missed it… missed him.

Darren smiled. "But somehow we're still back here, standing next to your car."

Josie cocked her head and leaned against the blue Honda she'd driven all through high school, that her mom still kept for when she came home.

"Well, I should go," she said, reaching for the handle.

"Wait," said Darren, grabbing her hand.

He leaned forward, intending to kiss her, but she pushed him away.

"What are you doing?" she exclaimed.

"I'm…. I'm sorry," stammered Darren. "I thought we were having a good time."

"We were," frowned Josie. "But I'm… I just got out of a relationship and I'm still not really over it."

That was an understatement. She missed Klaus desperately. Missed everyone back in Mystic Falls. She'd only been gone for three days, but it felt like a lot longer. Maybe because she knew she'd never see any of them again.

"No problem," said Darren, backing away. "Drive safe and take care of yourself, Josie."

Josie nodded and wished him goodbye. As she merged into the traffic of the city, she felt the tears streaming down her face. It had been a perfectly fun night with a great group of people. A hot guy had tried to kiss her and now she was crying. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she be happy here?

She snuck into the house quietly, not wanting her mother or stepfather to see that she'd been crying. She got washed up for bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

o – o – o – o – o

Klaus blinked against the flashing light that had emerged to the side of the altar. Beside where Diana was slowly getting up, was a sleeping Josie.

She was back! A smile crept unwittingly across his face. After all this time, this month that felt like a lifetime, she was here. He sped over to her, careful not to wake her. Her breathing was even and her heartbeat was steady. As always when she was sleeping, she looked so peaceful.

"Is she alright?" asked Rebekah, fixing her hair from the gust of wind that had accompanied Josie's arrival in the apartment.

"She's fine," said Diana, still panting heavily from the effort the spell had taken. "And my son?"

Klaus glanced at the door to the apartment.

"You have his ring," said Klaus, shrugging. "I compelled him to sit on the edge of the fountain until noon." He glanced out the window. "You'd better hurry if you want to make it before sunrise."

Diana shot him hate-filled look and ran out the door.

He looked down and his heart leapt when he saw that Josie was stirring.

o – o – o – o – o

When Josie awoke she was being cradled in someone's arms.

"Mom?" she said, eyes fluttering open groggily.

"It's alright, love," came a soft voice. "I've got you."

"Klaus?" she asked, sitting up in his arms. "Klaus! What's going on? What... What am I doing here?"

"I brought you back."

Josie sighed, closing her eyes and trying to collect herself. She didn't know what to think. Just when she'd given up hope. Just when she'd accepted that they didn't want to bring her back, that they'd rejected her, here she was, waking up in Klaus' arms.

"We're going to go," said Rebekah.

Josie's eyes flickered to where Rebekah and Mason were standing on the other side of the room.

"It's good to see you, Josie," said Rebekah, smiling.

"The pack's gonna be so stoked you're back," smiled Mason, grabbing Rebekah's hand.

They disappeared in a gush of air, leaving Josie and Klaus alone.

"Where are we?" she asked, looking around the strange room.

"Diana's apartment," said Klaus.

"Right," said Josie, using the altar to steady herself as she stood up.

She felt her stomach lurch when she saw all the blood. No matter how she felt about being back, this was wrong. He shouldn't have done this. How many people had died for her?

"Why did you do this?" asked Josie. "I told them not to bring me back."

Klaus looked into her eyes. "I wanted you here."

Josie scoffed. "Why couldn't you respect my decision?" she asked, trying to keep the anger out of her voice. "I made my choice. I didn't want the visions anymore and I certainly didn't want anyone else's life on my conscience."

"It's not on yours, it's…" Klaus started to say, but Josie cut him off.

"Yes, it is, Klaus!" she said, this time letting her anger out. "How many people?"

"It's not your concern…"

"How many?" she repeated in a heated tone.

"Twelve," he answered.

Josie clenched her jaw. "Goddamnit, Klaus. Why would you do that? Why…"

"Because I love you!" he fairly shouted, gripping her arms tightly. "It took me a thousand years to find you and I would have sacrificed ten times that to bring you back to me!"

The intense, passionate look in his eyes was overwhelming. The utter devotion; the raw need of this powerful and dangerous man who could only see her. He had killed just to get her back, would no doubt do anything it took to keep her here, keep her safe. It was exhilarating and frightening at the same time.

She leaned forward and buried her head in his chest, letting her tears spill. She wasn't sure why she was crying. She supposed the emotion had to go somewhere.

"Oh, love," sighed Klaus, wrapping his arms around her. "I didn't…" He took a deep breath. "You needn't stay if that isn't what you want."

Josie lifted her head. "What?"

Klaus reached over to the altar and grabbed a small pocket watch.

"I would never trap you here against your will," he said softly. "I had Diana make you this."

He handed the pocket watch to her.

"If you truly wish to leave this place, just open it and say the inscription three times," he explained. "A portal will open for you."

Josie was surprised. "After all the trouble you went through to bring me back? You'd just let me go?"

Klaus reached out and cupped her face. "I want you to stay. Your family, my family, the pack… They all want you to stay. But it's your decision, Josie."

"Does that mean you forgive me for not telling you the truth about where I come from?"

Klaus shook his head. "There's nothing to forgive, my love. I'm not sure I, nor anyone else, would have believed you in the absence of Diana." He paused. "I hope you can forgive my reaction. I should never have left you with her."

Josie smiled at his genuine apology. She knew better than anyone how rarely he gave them.

"Water under the bridge, Klaus."

"Good," he said, lowering his hands to rest on her shoulders. "Will you stay?"

Josie looked down at the pocket watch and opened it, staring at the inscription. What did she want? She could feel Klaus' eyes on her, saw him flinch slightly when she opened the watch.

She looked up into his eyes and knew she couldn't leave. Not now. She loved him and had missed him terribly, not to mention everyone else she had missed, her life… She felt more alive in this moment than she had the entire time she'd been home.

She remembered that look in his eyes from earlier, the one that spoke of raw passion and danger. She felt as if she were Icarus, flying too close to the sun. She was sure he would burn her, consume her and yet, after living without him, without that intensity, even for just a few days, she wasn't sure there was any other path for her than beside him.

"I love you too," she finally said, closing the watch and putting it in her pocket. "I'll stay."

Klaus smiled and immediately scooped her up into his arms, kissing her soundly while wrapping her legs around his waist.

"You've no idea how much I've missed you," he said, nuzzling her neck affectionately.

Josie smiled, feeling exactly how much he had missed her. "I've missed you too." She threaded her fingers in the nape of his neck. "Now take me home and show me."

 **A/N: She's back! Let me know what you thought of the first part of their reunion- more to come next chapter. I may have Josie and Klaus stick around Europe for an extra day or two, we'll see...**


	66. The Long Way Home

**A/N: As always thank you for all your comments! Some responses:**

 **For her age- Diana's 'create Josie Gilbert' spell had an appearance part, so now that she's back in TVD (and the Josie Gilbert spell is still in place), she's looking 17 again. She's free to tell everyone she's actually 19 though.**

 **For Klaus and the watch- I debated that one. On one hand, Klaus is still a very controlling person (oh, just wait), but on the other hand, he recognizes that when he tries to control her, it doesn't usually work or outright backfires. The watch is his attempt to get her to stay, otherwise, she might just try and find Diana on her own to go back.**

 **Not sure about different POVs. This chapter is back to Josie for the most part, but I will probably throw in more later on.**

 **Also, apologies for the length. The fluffs got away from me…**

Klaus abruptly stopped kissing her neck.

"What's wrong?" asked Josie, frowning. "Why can't you take me home? Is it Jeremy? Is he mad? Is it Elena? What about….?"

"Relax, love," said Klaus, chuckling at her nervousness. "Everyone is fine and no doubt excited to see you."

"Then what is it?" she asked, as he let her down on her feet.

"Diana's apartment is in Vienna."

Josie blinked, looking around said apartment. "We're in Austria? Why did you all travel across an ocean just to perform a spell?"

"We didn't," said Klaus.

He gathered a few objects from the altar, including Diana's Grimoire.

"Diana fled Mystic Falls to avoid doing the spell and we tracked her here," Klaus continued to explain as he took Josie's hand and led her out of the apartment. "You've been gone for four weeks."

Josie's eyes widened and she stopped in her tracks. "Four weeks? No, it's only been, like, three days."

"Three days?" Klaus repeated angrily. "I specifically told her to bring you back the same night you left."

"What?" exclaimed Josie. "How is that even possible?"

Klaus' expression softened at her confusion. "We're discussing a spell that opens a portal to another world and you're incredulous that time is a variable factor in the equation?"

Josie giggled and continued walking with him out of the apartment building.

"I guess you're right."

She shivered against the cold winter air when they stepped outside.

"Here," he said, shrugging off his jacket and putting it over her pajamas as he picked her up in his arms. "We should be at the hotel in a minute."

When they arrived at the suite Klaus had rented, he immediately took her to bed. When she found herself naked in the blink of an eye, Josie couldn't suppress a laugh.

"It's been four weeks for me," Klaus growled, his erection already poking at her entrance. "I have to have you. Now."

Josie rolled her eyes. "Four weeks isn't…" she trailed off when he pushed a finger inside her.

A second later, he was sucking her clit into his mouth and she had no more comments after that. After making her wet with his fingers and mouth, he plunged into her, fucking her frantically. They both didn't last long and came together quickly.

After the first time, he was hard again almost immediately. But he took his time then, making love to her slowly, kissing her neck, whispering words of affection in her ear, all the things he missed when she was gone.

When they both finally reached completion, he slipped out of her and held her close as they drifted off to sleep together.

o – o – o – o – o

"Josie!" Elena exclaimed. "You're here! You're back!"

Josie and Klaus were still in Vienna. They had woken up around noon to nearly a dozen text messages from Jeremy and Elena. Josie was sitting in an armchair in the hotel suite, computer with a webcam on her lap.

She was freshly showered, but waiting for one of the hybrids to bring her some clothes as she only had the pajamas she'd worn coming here.

"You look tired," said Jeremy, pushing his face into view of the camera.

Josie frowned at Jeremy's assessment. "Ouch, Jer. Good to see you too. I'm actually looking better than I have in a few days."

Jeremy crinkled his nose in confusion. "What?"

Josie laughed. "I'm back to being 17. You know I'm technically 19 back home."

Elena and Jeremy looked surprised, but quickly recovered.

"You'll always be the youngest, Jo," smiled Jeremy. "Sorry."

"You're not sorry," Josie smiled with a roll of her eyes. It was so good to see her siblings. "Where are you guys?"

Elena spun her phone around to reveal Alaric's apartment.

"We were just warming up," answered Elena.

"Where are Jenna and Alaric?" asked Josie, hoping to see them.

"Hungover," answered Jeremy. "Last night was the school's Christmas party."

"So it's just the two of you?"

"Elijah should be here soon," said Elena. "He joins most of the time now."

"Something to look forward to," said Josie sarcastically.

She was not looking forward to waking up at 5am to join the Gilbert family training sessions again.

Jeremy laughed at her sour face.

"Speaking of Christmas," said Elena. "Christmas Eve we're having dinner at our house."

"Okay," said Josie, remembering this tradition from last year.

"I'm bringing Anna," said Jeremy. "You should bring Klaus."

"Guests are welcome now?" asked Josie.

Last year, it had been family only.

"Well, Alaric's coming, obviously," said Elena. "So Jenna agreed to expand the guest list."

"And who are you bringing, Elena?" asked Josie, eyebrows raised.

"Don't ask," said Jeremy, shaking his head.

Josie giggled. "So I guess you haven't picked a Salvatore?"

"We can talk when you get back," said Elena, sighing.

"When is that?" asked Jeremy. "It's only a few days before Christmas. We're already on break."

"I don't know," said Josie, craning her neck to see if she could spot Klaus. "Klaus is in the dining room, I think. I'll let you know."

"Your hotel room has a dining room?" asked Jeremy.

Josie nodded. "It's a suite. They just brought breakfast, but I had to see you guys first!"

"We've missed you, Jo!" said Elena, smiling.

"I've missed you guys too," said Josie. "I... Hey, my clothes just arrived. Mind if I call you later?"

"Sure," said Elena. "We should finish warming up."

"Say hi to Elijah for me," said Josie.

"We will," said Elena. "Love you, Jo!"

"Love you guys, too. I'll be back soon."

Elena hung up the phone and turned to Jeremy.

"You look tired?" Elena quoted. "Why would you say that?"

"She did," shrugged Jeremy. "Am I supposed to not be honest? She's my twin."

Elena tilted her head. "Do you think… things will be different now?"

Jeremy shrugged. "I don't know. I still think of her as my sister. Just like you."

Elena nodded. Technically all three siblings had three different sets of parents. Strange.

"Do you think she'll act different?" asked Elena.

"She didn't seem different," said Jeremy. "She didn't seem mad we brought her back."

"Yeah. You think she yelled at Klaus?"

Jeremy smiled. "Probably."

Elena looked at her phone that just beeped and smiled. "Elijah will be here in five minutes."

"Cool," said Jeremy, beginning to stretch.

"What do you think about me inviting Elijah for Christmas Eve?" asked Elena, reaching for her toes. "I can't invite just one Salvatore and inviting both seems weird."

Jeremy stood up. "So why Elijah?"

Elena shrugged. "Everyone likes Elijah. He seems like a safer option."

"You don't have to invite anyone if you don't want," said Jeremy, doing a few jumping jacks.

Elena just nodded and joined Jeremy in doing some jumping jacks. But when Elijah joined them a few minutes later, she was happy when Elijah agreed to come to Christmas Eve dinner.

o – o – o – o – o

Josie quickly changed into her new clothes and joined Klaus in the dining room.

"Morning, love," said Klaus, looking at her over his coffee. "Hungry?"

"Very."

She kissed him quickly before plopping down and helping herself to some breakfast.

"So, you promised to fill me in at breakfast," said Josie. "What's been happening in Mystic Falls for the past four weeks?"

Klaus grumbled a bit, but began to tell her about the past four weeks. How Rebekah and Mason, together with the hybrids, had helped Klaus search for Diana. How Kol had left and Elijah had been informing Josie's family of their progress.

"What about the white oak stake?" asked Josie.

"It is secure," answered Klaus. "In a safe that has been spelled so only a Mikaelson can open it."

"Why didn't you destroy it?"

Klaus frowned. "It's been rendered indestructible, lest you forget."

"Because of a witch's spell," said Josie. "There's a way to undo it."

Dahlia had found a way, after all.

Klaus nodded. "I'll look into it."

Josie smiled, looking out the window at all the Christmas lights in the streets of Vienna.

"I'm glad I didn't miss Christmas," she said. "Although now only I have three days to shop for gifts."

"The Christmas markets of Vienna are famous the world over," replied Klaus. "I know you're eager to return to Mystic Falls, but we could stay here for another day. Or perhaps make a stop someplace else on the way back."

Josie bit her lip. She did want to see everyone in Mystic Falls, but it would be nice to spend a little time just with Klaus.

"I've never been to a Christmas market before," she said, smiling.

Klaus kissed her. "Then I shall take you."

"Hmm…" she replied, enjoying the feeling of his lips on hers.

He lifted her from her seat at the table and brought her into his lap. He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue into her mouth when they were interrupted by an awkward cough.

"Get a room," said Rebekah, walking into the dining room and pouring herself some coffee.

"This is our room, dear sister," growled Klaus.

Josie just smiled at Mason as he tentatively followed Rebekah into the dining room.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we wanted to let you know the plane is ready," said Mason.

Josie got off Klaus' lap to sit in the chair beside him.

"Have a safe flight, then," said Klaus.

"You're not leaving?" asked Rebekah, frowning as she sat in the chair opposite Klaus. Mason followed suit, sitting next to Rebekah.

"We're going to the Christmas markets!" exclaimed Josie.

Rebekah laughed. "Don't forget to take a picture of Nik on Santa's lap."

Josie laughed too, enjoying Rebekah's gentle ribbing of Klaus.

"Maybe we should go, babe," said Mason, eyeing Klaus' annoyed look towards Rebekah.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "The plane can wait. I want to finish my coffee." She turned towards Josie. "I told everyone you're coming back after break."

"Who's everyone?" asked Josie.

"Bridget, Colin and Tracy," answered Rebekah, referring to Josie's friend group at Mystic Falls High. "Wait until you see Tracy's new haircut. And Colin has a new boyfriend. He goes to Whitmore and is gorgeous!"

Josie smiled. "Good for Colin." Then she thought of something. "Where did you tell everyone I've been for the past month?"

Rebekah shrugged. "Guatemala again."

Josie laughed, remembering that's what Elena and Jeremy had said about her summer hunting werewolves with Klaus.

"I suppose I should actually find out something about Guatemala," said Josie, shaking her head.

"I could compel them," offered Klaus.

"It's fine," said Josie. "Though I could probably use some help with my teachers."

Klaus nodded. "Of course."

"And we're having a party on Christmas. A ball," said Rebekah. She turned to Mason, eyes lighting with an idea. "Maybe we can go dress shopping before we leave?"

"Great," said Mason, smiling weakly.

Rebekah smirked. "I'll let you pick what I wear underneath."

"I think it's time you left," growled Klaus. "Before I find myself in need of a new Beta."

Mason shot up in his seat. "Let me know if you need anything while you're here. Come on, Bex." He looked at Josie. "It's good to see you, Josie. The pack is so excited you're back. They'll all be at the Christmas ball."

"Sounds great," said Josie. "It's good to see you both."

She smiled at Mason and Rebekah as they left. Josie looked at Klaus, sad to see Mason and Rebekah go, but happy they were alone again.

"So, which market should we go to first?" asked Josie.

o – o – o – o – o

Thirty minutes later, they headed to the closest Christmas Market. It was a short walk from the hotel and soon they were wandering among the booths, looking at all the offerings.

"According to this website, this market is the most touristy," said Josie, looking at the temporary phone Klaus had gotten her.

"Indeed," said Klaus, looking disdainfully at all the generic goods and numerous people taking pictures.

"The sign is beautiful though," argued Josie, who was still impressed. "And look at all the lights!"

"Perhaps we should have gone to Cologne or Berlin," frowned Klaus.

Josie just shook her head and laughed. "You are so jaded! Look at that!"

She pointed to a beautifully lit carousel that was twirling around, carrying small children to the tune of Christmas carols.

"Would you like to ride?" asked Klaus, tilting his head.

Josie laughed again and grabbed his hand. "I'm pretty sure it's only for kids. But I wouldn't say no to some of those roasted chestnuts and Gluhwein."

Klaus nodded as they walked up to one of the booths.

He purchased a bag of chestnuts while she waited in line for some Gluhwein. When he returned with her chestnuts, he pulled her hand and went to the front of the line, compelling the first person in line to wait their turn. Josie rolled her eyes.

"Are you incapable of waiting in line?" asked Josie.

"I find my time to be more valuable than others'."

"You're going to live forever," countered Josie. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Did you wish to wait in line?" asked Klaus, taking one of the mugs and handing it to Josie.

Josie frowned. "Well, no..."

"Then just enjoy the perks of being with me," smirked Klaus, linking his free hand with hers. "Now, let's see if we can't find something a bit more off the beaten path…"

They wandered around for a while longer, drinking their wine, until Klaus called the car he'd hired and they went to another market.

This one looked much more traditional and had a lot of handmade goods, with many artisans making their crafts inside the booths. Josie bought a number of gifts for people back in Mystic Falls.

"I promise I'll pay you back," said Josie, after she thanked one of the artisans for inscribing Elena's name on a beautiful wooden jewelry box.

"There's no need, love."

"Of course I will," said Josie. She frowned. "It feels odd to be without any of my stuff."

"Do you not like the things Alice purchased for you?"

"I do," assured Josie, as they wandered to another booth. "But it's not mine, you know. What do you think of this?"

She pointed to a silver necklace with a small mother of pearl inlay.

"I think it would look beautiful on you," answered Klaus.

"Not for me, silly. I'm thinking maybe for Jenna? I wonder if they have a longer chain."

Klaus caught the attention of the attendant and asked them something in German, to which they responded with a head nod and another long sentence in German.

"They have a variety of chain sizes," Klaus translated`, as the attendant opened a box.

Josie picked out which chain she wanted and purchased the necklace for Jenna.

"How many languages do you speak?" asked Josie, as they walked away.

Klaus tilted his head. "I don't know. Many."

"What was your first language? It wasn't English."

"Norse," answered Klaus. "Old Norse, they call it now. The language of the Vikings."

Josie smiled. "Tell me something in Old Norse."

Klaus shook his head at her silliness, but said something that sounded like cross between Swedish, German and the sound a dog makes when it's hacking up a hairball.

Josie giggled. "What did you say?"

"Not something I ought not to repeat in public," he said, tugging her flush against him.

"That was dirty talk?" she asked, incredulously. "It sounded like you were angry or sick or something."

"My, my, aren't we stereotyping?" teased Klaus, wrapping his arms around her. "As if all Vikings are dangerous, mad brutes when it comes to bedding women…"

Josie bit her lip. "Well if the horned helmet fits…"

Klaus bent and ran his tongue tip up the shell of her ear. "Perhaps you'd like it if I ravaged you right here."

Josie felt her breath quicken at the sudden change in mood.

"But I'm not done shopping," she whispered. "And it's cold."

Klaus just picked her up and she soon found herself in a small space, pressed against the wall, with Klaus kissing her neck. She looked around and frowned.

"Where are we?" she asked. "Wait, is this… a confessional?"

"The church is closed," Klaus murmured against her neck while his hands traveled south.

"We can't have sex in a church!" she protested, trying to bat his hands away from her pants.

Klaus lifted his head from her neck. "Why not?"

She put her hands on his chest. "It just… feels wrong. Isn't it a sin or something?"

Klaus raised his eyebrows. "If you were worried about sin, love, I think you'd have protested the first time I took you to bed."

When she didn't immediately respond, he lowered his head to her neck once again and deftly unbuttoned her pants to slide a finger into her.

"God, Klaus," she moaned.

"Now, now, my love," he said as he moved his finger in and out, adding another. "Taking the lord's name in vain…"

She groaned. "Shut up and fuck me!" she exclaimed, pulling his face level with hers and kissing him.

"Swearing in church…" he scolded, but quickly complied with her demand, removing the rest of their clothes and sinking into her.

o – o – o – o – o

That night Klaus took Josie to an upscale Viennese restaurant before they went back to the hotel. The next morning they woke up and made their way to the airfield where a private jet awaited them.

They'd only been in the air for two hours when the flight attendant announced they were about to land.

"What's going on?" frowned Josie, looking out the window. "Why are we landing?"

One of the perks of not flying commercial was every flight was direct, no matter where you went.

"I thought we might make a quick stop," said Klaus. "In Paris."

Josie smiled widely. "We're going to Paris?"

"If you're not opposed," said Klaus. "Christmas Eve is tomorrow. We'll have today in the City of Light and then fly back to Mystic Falls tomorrow just in time for your dinner."

Josie smiled and took Klaus' hand. Though he wasn't ecstatic about going to the Gilberts' house for dinner, he reluctantly agreed, especially once Josie told him Elijah would be coming too.

"Thank you for going," she said.

Klaus nodded. "Family is important."

"Even if they're not technically my family," said Josie. "Though I guess Elena and Jeremy aren't technically brother and sister either."

"My siblings are only half-siblings," offered Klaus. "Family isn't just blood, love."

He took her hand and kissed it.

"Now, where to first?"

Josie rolled her eyes. "The Eiffel Tower of course! And then the Louvre or maybe Notre Dame. And my friend told me about how you can go into these catacombs underneath the city…"

Klaus chuckled. "We've only a day. I promise we will return."

Josie pouted. "Okay… then what do you suggest?"

"We can start with Eiffel's eyesore and then I thought perhaps we'd take in the Champs-Élysées for a bit of lunch."

Josie crinkled her nose. "Eyesore?"

"The last time I was in Paris I joined a campaign to have that atrocity demolished. Would have succeeded if the bloody city commissioner wasn't on vervain."

Josie frowned. She didn't know what was more surprising- that Klaus didn't like the iconic Paris landmark or that he had joined anything.

"I think it's pretty," shrugged Josie as the plane landed.

"You've no eye for art or architecture, love."

Josie scoffed. "Hey!"

Though he wasn't wrong. Thankfully he liked art enough for the both of them.

"I am, however, happy to enlighten you," said Klaus, pulling her into his embrace. "With my vast experience and knowledge."

Josie rolled her eyes. "Well not all of us were around when art was invented."

Klaus chuckled at her exaggeration, but didn't get a chance to reply as the plane door opened at that moment and the flight attendant told them they'd arrived in Paris.

o – o – o – o – o

"What's wrong with that one?" asked Klaus, shaking his head.

"My nose looks funny," said Josie. "And the Tower is cut off."

She frowned as she looked at the photo she'd just tried to take of the two of them in front of the Eiffel Tower.

"Give it here," said Klaus, exasperated.

She handed him the phone. He held it out and snapped a picture of them. She looked at it and smiled.

"That's so much better!" she exclaimed.

"I've dabbled in the photographic arts," shrugged Klaus.

"Is there anything you can't do?" asked Josie as they started to walk towards the Tower.

Klaus pretended to think about it. "I don't think so."

"Can you… shoot a gun?"

Klaus nodded. "Of course."

"Can you… fix a car?"

"I prefer to have others do such tasks, but I know my way around an engine, yes."

"I bet you can't cook…"

Klaus smirked. "When we return home, I'll make you Duck a l'Orange. Julia Child stole her recipe from me."

Josie frowned. She really thought she had him with that one.

"What about baking?"

Klaus frowned and Josie knew she'd gotten him.

"I don't enjoy sweets much," he grumbled.

"Well, when we get home, I'll make you my famous chocolate chip cookies," she said, giggling. "Toll House totally stole my recipe."

Klaus just shook his head and grabbed her hand as they approached the base of the Eiffel Tower.

"I don't suppose you object to jumping the queue this time?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

The line to get into the Eiffel Tower was impressively long. She shook her head, feeling a bit guilty as they headed straight to the front of the line to get in.

o – o – o – o – o

"So what do you think of Paris, love?" asked Klaus as they sat in a restaurant that night.

"It's beautiful," she said, looking out the window.

They were seated on an enclosed terrace on the roof of a building, giving them a bird's eye view of the Parisian skyline at night.

She turned back to look at Klaus. "I guess it's old hat to you, but I love it."

Klaus tilted his head. "I've been to Paris many times throughout the centuries, but I think, this visit, however brief, has been my favorite."

Josie frowned. "Why do you say that? The weather's cold, the Louvre was super crowded and even you said Paris is best in the springtime."

Klaus looked at her and smiled. "Then I misspoke. Paris is best when you have someone with whom to share it."

Josie returned his smile, thinking of their day. After the Eiffel Tower, they spent a few hours wandering around the Louvre, then did a bit of shopping on the Champs-Élysées before stopping for dinner.

"I won't argue with that," she said, taking a sip of her wine.

He smiled. "I have something for you."

He reached into his pocket and took out a velvet box. He slid it across the table.

"Early Christmas present?" she asked.

"If you like… Open it."

She pried it open to reveal a beautiful necklace with a dark blue stone surrounded by diamonds.

"It's gorgeous!" she exclaimed.

"It's just a necklace, I'm afraid. The one that Esther destroyed… it may take some time to find a replacement with its unique characteristics."

She waved off his apologies. "I love it! Thank you so much."

She took the necklace out of the box and put it on.

"How does it look?" she asked, fingering the stone.

"Lovely."

"You're going to have to wait until Christmas for your present," said Josie.

"You needn't get me anything."

Josie tilted her head. "I want to. It's our first Christmas together."

She stopped short, realizing the implication of what she was saying- that they would have more Christmases together. She blushed a little at the presumption and nervously bit her lip.

He just smiled and looked at her intensely. "Yes, it is."

The moment was broken when the waiter came and delivered their meals. Josie changed the subject to past Christmases and soon Klaus was telling her of different Christmas parties he and his family had held over the years.

After they'd finished eating, Klaus excused himself to go to the bathroom.

"Only be a minute."

Josie nodded and he disappeared. She went back to gazing at the skyline, when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.

"That was less than a…" she trailed off when she saw Kol sitting across from her.

"Kol!" she exclaimed, surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to provide you with a proper date," smirked Kol.

Josie rolled her eyes. "Klaus will be back in a minute."

"I don't want to see Nik," said Kol, saying his older brother's name in disgust. "And, anyway, I can't stay. I'm here to warn you. About Diana."

"What about her?" asked Josie, suddenly concerned.

"I was in Germany on unrelated business when the coven I'd been dealing with relayed a bit of gossip about a shunned Italian witch. One who'd been caught doing dark magic to protect her vampire son."

"Diana," nodded Josie. "Klaus forced her to bring me back. But her son is fine."

"Nik killed her husband," said Kol. "Or so they said. Apparently, she's looking to get even."

Josie sighed. Klaus hadn't told her that he'd killed Diana's husband. No doubt he was one of the twelve sacrifices.

"This gossip didn't include any specifics on how she's planning to get even, did it?" asked Josie.

Kol shook his head. "Just a name." He paused. "Silas."

"What?" exclaimed Josie. "Silas is still a petrified corpse buried under a ton of rock."

"Is he?" asked Kol. "We thought it was Lucy Bennett who sealed him in, but, in reality, it was…"

"Your mother," finished Josie.

"Yes."

"Why would Esther want Silas to rise?" asked Josie, not understanding. "Honestly what person alive would want the Veil to the Other Side lifted?"

"Exactly. What person alive?"

Josie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Dead or alive, I seriously hate your mother, Kol."

"Queue forms here, darling."

"So what do we do?"

"I'm off to Nova Scotia," said Kol. "I'll see if the devil is still there or not."

Josie nodded. "I'll let Klaus know so he can begin the Diana hunt."

"Excellent," said Kol, taking a sip of Klaus' wine. He grimaced. "Nik has terrible taste."

"Ouch," said Josie with mock offense.

"Present company excluded of course," said Kol, grabbing Josie's hand and kissing it. "Until we meet again, soulmate."

He smiled cheekily and stood.

"Travel safe," said Josie, rolling her eyes.

He nodded and disappeared.

When Klaus returned, Josie told him what had happened. He seemed a bit hurt that Kol had purposefully chosen not to see him, but was understandably distracted by the news he'd delivered.

They left the restaurant quickly and Klaus was already on the phone by the time they'd stepped outside.

o – o – o – o – o

"I don't want to leave," frowned Josie as she packed her bag the next morning, Christmas Eve.

Klaus came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"We can postpone our return until after the new year, if you like," he said, kissing her neck.

Josie sighed and leaned back into his embrace.

"I do want to see my family," she said. "Plus, I'm pretty sure Rebekah would kill us if we missed her party."

"I'm not afraid of Rebekah."

"I am."

Klaus smiled. "I'll protect you."

Josie turned in his arms and put her hands on his chest.

"I don't doubt it," she said, smiling. "But we still have to go home. Plus, with Diana and Silas…"

He sighed and leaned down to kiss her.

"I will protect you," repeated Klaus, running his hands down her back. "Always."

"At least we had a few days before the madness, right?" she joked.

"We'll have more," he promised. "But you're right. Mystic Falls beckons, I'm afraid."

Josie nodded and stepped out of his arms to finish packing.


	67. Christmas Eve

**A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed the lighthearted break in Europe last chapter, because we're back in Mystic Falls this chapter and the plot will start to pick up. One thing I wanted to mention:**

 **Some people have commented on the potential of Elena/Elijah. At this point, I'm not sure (though in my mind Elena has a tiny crush right now- and who could blame her?). Maybe at some point in the future it will be reciprocated by Elijah, dunno. I want Elena to do some maturing first and have complete and full separation from the Salvatores. Elijah is amazing and he deserves the best.**

Josie took a deep breath and tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach as she and Klaus pulled up to the familiar white house. It had been less than a week since she'd been there from her perspective, though for Jenna, Jeremy and Elena, it had been much longer. She wondered what it would be like, seeing them in person.

"Are you alright?" asked Klaus from the driver's seat.

"I'm fine," answered Josie, looking at the house. "I don't know why I'm nervous. That's silly, right?"

"If you'd rather go back to my home…."

"Josie!" came a voice from the direction of the house.

Josie looked and saw Elena, Jeremy, Jenna and Alaric standing there. The moment she saw them, she grinned. She gave Klaus a quick kiss, told him she'd see him later and hopped out of the car.

Elena and Jeremy met her halfway there and wrapped their arms around her.

"Jo, we missed you!" exclaimed Elena.

"It wasn't the same without you," confirmed Jeremy.

"I missed you guys too!" said Josie, hugging them back fiercely.

"Come on, guys," said Alaric, who walked up with Jenna. "Don't hog her."

Josie smiled as Elena and Jeremy stepped back so she could hug Jenna, then Alaric.

"Are you hungry?" asked Jenna, looking Josie up and down. "Dinner isn't for a few hours, but we can find you something."

"They fed us on the plane," said Josie. "I'm fine."

"Come on," said Elena, wrapping an arm around Josie as they walked up towards the house.

Josie smiled and let them lead her into the house.

o – o – o – o – o

"So Kol is in Nova Scotia to see if Silas is still in his tomb and Klaus has people looking for Diana?" Alaric summed up.

Josie nodded. She had just finished telling Jenna, Alaric, Elena and Jeremy about her encounter with Kol in Paris. They were all sitting at the kitchen table.

"Hopefully Silas is still there," Josie added.

"What if he isn't there?" asked Jenna.

"Then we have a big problem," answered Josie, sighing. "From what I remember, Silas has these crazy mental powers. He can appear as anybody and mind control huge crowds of people."

Everyone looked worried at that revelation.

"But what does he want?" asked Jena.

"The cure, no?" said Elena. "And to drop the Veil between us and the Other Side."

"But the cure's gone," frowned Jeremy.

"It's still in Finn," said Josie. "If Silas drinks Finn's blood, then he'll be cured of his immortality. With Diana's knowledge of Expression, it won't be too hard for her to drop the Veil. But she'll need sacrifices. Three sets of twelve people in an 'Expression Triangle'."

"36 people dying all in one place won't be easy to hide," said Elena.

"Exactly," said Josie. "So while the Originals are trying to find Diana, they'll also be monitoring any suspicious group deaths."

"What about Finn?" asked Alaric. "He needs to be protected."

"Nobody knows where he is," answered Josie. "He and Sage cloaked themselves, so a locator spell will be difficult, if not impossible. Finn is technically a witch because Esther was, so I'm sure he's put extra spells on him and Sage too."

"What can we do to help?" asked Alaric.

Josie shrugged. "Nothing, really. Klaus and his family are handling it."

Alaric looked unhappy, but didn't say anything.

"Elijah's helping too, right?" asked Jenna, putting a comforting hand on Alaric's arm.

Josie nodded. "Of course."

"Then it'll be fine," said Elena.

Alaric just shook his head. "I'm going to take a shower before we eat."

He got up from the table and went upstairs.

"Don't mind him," said Jenna, getting up to put Alaric's glass in the sink.

"Did I miss something?" asked Josie, frowning.

Jenna, Elena and Jeremy looked at each other uncomfortably.

"What?" asked Josie. "What's going on?"

Elena sighed. "He didn't agree with our decision to bring you back."

"Not because he didn't want you here," Jeremy said hastily. "Because of…"

"The sacrifices," finished Josie, looking down.

"He tried to get Elijah to stop Klaus," said Jenna.

"Elijah…? Oh…" Josie said, understanding. "Elijah agreed with Kol, didn't he? Because I asked not to be brought back."

"He never said anything," said Elena. "But, we could tell."

"But when Alaric tried to talk to Elijah..." Jeremy trailed off.

"Let me guess," said Josie. "It didn't end well."

Elena shrugged. "Elijah told him it wasn't his decision. And, you know Alaric. He thought Elijah should have stood up to Klaus and not let him sacrifice people to bring you back."

Josie nodded, understanding Alaric's awkwardness. She looked at Jenna, Elena and Jeremy, who also looked awkward.

"I'm not mad at you," said Josie quietly. "I hate that those people died so I could be here. I should have known Klaus wouldn't listen. I wish it could have been different. But I'm here now and I'm… happy to be back."

Elena, Jeremy and Jenna all smiled.

"We're happy too, Jo," said Jeremy.

"Ugh, dinner is going to be awkward," said Josie. She turned to Elena. "Why did you invite Elijah then? Why did you let me invite Klaus?"

"Alaric and Elijah see each other every day," said Elena. "At our training sessions. It's not awkward anymore."

"Klaus, on the other hand," said Jenna, shaking her head.

"We know he's important to you," said Elena. "I just want us all to get along."

"He brought you back," said Jeremy, getting up from the table. "I've got no issue with him."

Josie turned to Jenna.

"I'm never going to like the guy that wanted to sacrifice my niece," said Jenna. "But I've learned to tolerate Damon Salvatore and Anna, after she tried to feed Jeremy to her mother, so I can do the same for Klaus." She sighed. "And I'll make sure Alaric behaves himself."

Josie smiled. "I think I'm going to take a shower before dinner too. Wash the plane off."

She got up from the table and headed upstairs.

o – o – o – o – o

"Jenna, can I talk to you about something?" asked Josie, knocking lightly on Jenna's open bedroom door an hour later.

"Sure, Jo," smiled Jenna. "Come in. What's up? Everything okay?"

Josie smiled back and walked into the room, shutting the door behind her.

"I'm fine," answered Josie. "I wanted to talk to you about school."

"I'm sure we can talk to the principal," said Jenna, nodding. "Work something out to make up what you missed."

Josie bit her lip. "I don't know if Elena and Jeremy told you this, but I'm actually 19. And I've already finished high school. I was a sophomore in college." She paused. "I thought I would be fine going back to Mystic Falls High, but the more I think about it, the more I don't see why I should."

"You can't go to college without a high school diploma," said Jenna. "And don't say compulsion! I swear that's everybody's solution to everything around here."

"Why not use compulsion?" argued Josie. "Magic got me into this mess, why can't vampirism, which is really just magic, get me out of it?"

Jenna sighed. "Your Winter Break isn't over for another week or so. Let me think about it and we can talk later?"

Josie nodded sadly.

"What would you do if you didn't go back?" asked Jenna, seeing Josie's disappointment. "It's a little late to register for the spring semester."

"It's not too late for the community college," said Josie. "I was studying to be a social worker."

At that, Jenna smiled. "I promise to think about it, okay?"

Josie smiled back and nodded. "Okay. I guess I should finish getting ready for dinner."

She was almost finished getting ready when Elena knocked on her door.

"Hey, Jo," said Elena, walking in and plopping on Josie's bed. "I love that dress."

"Thanks," answered Josie, turning back towards the mirror to put the finishing touches on her make-up. "I got it in Paris. Klaus bought it for me."

"How was Paris?" asked Elena. "Did you like it?"

Josie nodded. "It's beautiful. I want to go back. You should come."

Elena smiled. "Maybe this summer."

She did a final sweep of mascara before sitting beside Elena.

"So," said Josie. "Spill. Why did you invite Elijah to Christmas Eve dinner tonight instead of Damon or Stefan? Did something happen when I was gone?"

Elena frowned. "Nothing happened really."

"Your face doesn't say nothing."

Elena rolled her eyes. "It's Damon, mostly. Stefan is fine. He's been really supportive the past few weeks. So has Damon, but it's just the way he does it…"

Josie tilted her head. "Like how?"

"Thanksgiving was a disaster," said Elena, shaking her head. "Well, Thanksgiving was fine because neither of them were here, but then I wanted to go shopping on Black Friday…"

"And what, Damon didn't approve?"

"He insisted on coming with me to Regency Square, that mall in Richmond, and of course it was crowded and he…" Elena shook her head in annoyance. "He put some guy in the hospital who bumped into me and started yelling... Don't get me wrong, the guy was a jerk, but…"

"I'm sorry," frowned Josie, thinking how interesting this conversation was.

She remembered how much Elena had changed in the later seasons of the show, how much she tolerated this type of behavior from Damon once she became a vampire and they fell in love. The Elena sitting in front of her was still human, with a lot of her innocence and optimism still intact.

Josie smiled slightly, knowing it was probably because she had managed to shield Elena (and everyone else) from a lot of the tragedy that befell them originally.

"The worst was just yesterday morning though," sighed Elena. "Damon found out I invited Elijah to Christmas Eve dinner, it's just as friends, but of course Damon couldn't resist the opportunity to confront an Original."

Elena closed her eyes, remembering how Damon had interrupted that morning's training session.

 _Yesterday Morning, Alaric's apartment, 6am_

" _It's best to move back in this instance," explained Elijah, demonstrating the defensive move he'd just finished showing Elena and Jenna._

 _Jeremy and Alaric were outside, doing sprints._

" _Like this?" asked Elena, mimicking the move._

" _Close," said Elijah._

 _He moved to stand behind Elena and help her._

" _Step back," he said. "And then twist your torso slightly to the left while bringing your right arm up."_

 _He smiled when she did as he asked. She tried not to notice how close his body was to hers._

" _Just a bit higher," he said, taking her forearm in his hand and bringing it up, while tilting it. "And tilted more upright. This protects your face and puts you in a better position to attack in the next instance if necessary."_

" _Like this?" asked Elena, moving to her original position and trying again._

" _Yes," said Elijah. "Do not forget to use more force if you have a weapon in hand. Try it with my sword."_

" _Careful, Elena," came a voice from the doorway. "You don't know where an Original's sword has been."_

 _Elena rolled her eyes at the innuendo and turned to face the source of the voice: Damon._

" _What are you doing here, Damon?" asked Jenna, before either Elijah or Elena could say anything._

" _I'm here for the training," said Damon, walking into the apartment a little sluggishly._

 _Elena frowned. "Are you drunk?"_

" _Training while intoxicated is never a good idea, I'm afraid," said Elijah with an impassive face._

" _I'm not drunk," Damon protested, though he swayed slightly._

 _Elena rolled her eyes. "Go home, Damon."_

" _Why am I not welcome at your little training sessions?" he asked. "I can fight."_

" _Training requires dedication and discipline," Elijah stated._

" _Are you saying I don't have dedication and discipline?" challenged Damon._

" _That is precisely what I am saying," returned Elijah. "Now." He turned back to Jenna and Elena. "Should we practice that again?"_

 _Damon looked angry that he'd been dismissed._

" _You think I don't know what you're doing here?" asked Damon, flashing in front of Elijah._

" _I am simply helping my friends," said Elijah, looking almost bored._

" _We asked him to come, Damon," said Jenna._

" _Just go home, Damon," said Elena. "I'll call you later."_

 _Damon huffed. "Don't bother. It's clear you'd rather be with him. I know you invited him to Christmas Eve at your house. Just know the only reason he's here is because you're a Petrova doppelganger." He turned to Elijah. "Third times the charm, huh?"_

 _Elijah's face remained impassive while he quickly grabbed Damon by the collar and threw him out the open window of the apartment._

 _Elena sighed. "I'm sorry about that, Elijah."_

" _No need to apologize," said Elijah, shaking his head. "The words of a drunken man amount to very little."_

 _End Flashback_

"I haven't seen or talked to Damon since then," said Elena.

"I'm sorry, Elena. That's… Damon. I get it, but he still shouldn't have said that."

Elena looked hurt. "You get it?"

Josie bit her lip. "Well, honestly… you've been stringing Damon and Stefan along for what, three months now? I get that deciding means you'll hurt one of them, possibly both of them, but it's not really fair to them."

A few different emotions flashed over Elena's face- anger, annoyance, then sadness.

"You're right," she said finally, head in her hands. "I never wanted it to be like this. I feel awful, Jo."

"You just have to make a decision," said Josie. "What do you want? Do you want to be with Stefan?"

Elena tilted her head. "No, I don't think so. He wasn't who I thought he was. After the summer… after his emotions were turned off. I don't think we can go back to what we were."

"And Damon?"

Elena sighed. "Sometimes I think he's changed so much. That he isn't the guy who attacked Vicki and killed Coach Tanner. But then… sometimes I think he hasn't changed at all and he just tries to be who I want him to be."

Josie nodded, remembering how conflicted Damon had always been about being the person Elena wanted him to be. Their eventual relationship had been very on-again-off-again because of it.

Josie didn't get a chance to say anything more because the doorbell rang.

"We can talk more later if you want," said Josie as they headed down the stairs. "I don't trust Klaus alone with Alaric or Jenna."

Josie opened the front door.

"Nice to know you have faith in me, love," said Klaus with a slightly sour look.

"Don't be too hard on her, Niklaus," said Elijah, eyeing his brother. "It just means she knows you that well."

Josie shook her head and laughed. "Why do you assume you're the one with the problem?"

"That just means he knows himself that well," smirked Elena.

Josie rolled her eyes. "Just get in here."

Klaus moved into the house and Elijah followed him. She reached up and gave Klaus a quick kiss, before enveloping Elijah in a giant hug.

"Elijah!" she exclaimed as he hugged her back. "It's so good to see you."

"You as well, my dear," he said, pulling back. "I'm glad you have returned."

"Me too," smiled Josie.

Jenna and Alaric came into the foyer from the kitchen.

"Thank you for the invitation," said Elijah, handing Jenna a bottle of red wine.

"Of course," said Jenna, looking at the bottle. "I love a Chilean Cab. Thanks!"

"You're welcome," said Elijah, politely.

"I was told you're a bourbon man," said Klaus, handing Alaric a bottle as well.

Josie smiled as Klaus put a hand on her shoulder, clearly showing who had told Klaus that.

Alaric's eyes widened when he looked at the bottle. "Wow. This stuff is… hard to find."

"I visited the distillery a few decades ago," shrugged Klaus. "I receive a number of bottles each year."

Alaric looked at the bottle again. "I can't accept this."

Josie frowned. "Alaric…"

"I assure you, it's not a bribe," said Klaus. "You're Josie's family, or near enough. Believe what you will about me, but know that family is very important to me."

"It's true," said Elijah. "It's one of the least annoying things about him."

"Why don't we all have some?" offered Josie, trying to mediate a little. "I like bourbon and coke."

Alaric and Klaus both looked at her with horrified expressions.

"This is Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve," said Alaric, clutching the bottle to his chest.

Klaus nodded. "You don't mix Pappy with anything, love."

Josie rolled her eyes. "Jeez, didn't mean to offend Pappy. I'll just go get some of the grocery store wine Jenna bought for us plebs…"

As she was walking into the kitchen, she caught some of Klaus and Alaric's conversation.

"Thanks for this," said Alaric tightly. "It was… thoughtful."

"I appreciate a man who enjoys fine liquor," answered Klaus. "If you like Scotch, I have a few bottles of Oban Highland Single Malt I haven't had occasion to open. Are you attending our Christmas party tomorrow…?"

"They seem to be getting along okay," commented Jenna as Josie stepped into the kitchen.

Josie smiled. "They're bonding over alcohol. Really fancy alcohol, apparently."

Jenna smiled back. "Have either of you seen Jeremy?"

"I think he's still upstairs," said Elena.

At that moment, the doorbell rang again.

"I'll get it!" came Jeremy's voice from the top of the stairs.

From their vantage point in the kitchen, they could all see it was Anna at the door.

"Merry Christmas!" she said as she came into the kitchen a minute later, holding a bottle of wine.

After everyone had something to drink, Jenna announced dinner would be ready in five minutes.

"She's been preparing for this meal all week," said Alaric.

Josie nodded, knowing Jenna wasn't much of a cook.

"It smells delicious, Jenna," said Elijah, smiling.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"You're looking well," said Elijah, turning to Josie. "Europe agrees with you."

"I had so much fun!" exclaimed Josie. "The Christmas markets were amazing. I've never actually had roasted chestnuts before… And Paris! I want to go back. Elena wants to go too. We thought maybe this summer."

"Oh?" said Elijah, eyebrow raised.

"I've never been outside the country," said Elena.

"That should be corrected," said Elijah. "The world is a beautiful place."

"You could come too!" said Josie. "Show us the best places to go."

"It has been a number of years since I've spent time in Europe," said Elijah.

Elena sipped her wine. "It would be nice to have someone who knows their way around."

"Then look no further," said Klaus, coming to stand next to Josie and wrapping an arm around her waist. "I'd be happy to show you around."

Elena frowned, clearly preferring Elijah to Klaus.

"You could both come," said Josie, shaking her head.

"Where are you guys talking about?" asked Jeremy, coming to join the conversation with Anna.

"Our theoretical summer vacation," answered Josie.

"Dinner's ready!" called Jenna.

They all shuffled to the table with their drinks. Alaric sat at the head of the table, with Jenna to his right. Jeremy and Anna sat next to Jenna, with Klaus at the other end of the table. Josie was to Klaus' right and Elena and Elijah made up the other two spots opposite Jeremy and Jenna.

Everybody served themselves food and began eating.

"This turkey is delicious," said Elijah.

"Thanks," answered Jenna. "It was my mother's recipe. She served it every year at Christmas."

"Thank you for sharing it," smiled Anna.

They all lapsed into a slightly awkward, uncomfortable silence.

"So," said Jenna, clearly trying to fill the silence. "Any news on Diana or Silas?"

Klaus paused in sipping his drink. "You told them?"

Josie frowned. "Yeah. Of course I did."

"We deserve to know," said Alaric, raising his eyebrows.

Klaus' gaze darkened. "I'm handling it."

"Like you handled your mother?" challenged Elena.

"Please," said Elijah. "I'm sure Niklaus can understand your need to be aware of the current situation, in case either Silas or Diana comes to Mystic Falls."

"And I'm sure you can understand the last time someone tried to get revenge on your family, mine was caught in the middle," said Jenna.

"We couldn't have foreseen…" Klaus began.

"Stop it!" exclaimed Josie. "Just… please, it's Christmas Eve. What happened with Esther isn't anybody's fault except for Esther. And Diana is mad because I'm back. So if you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me."

"It's not your fault, Jo," said Elena, shaking her head.

"She's right," said Alaric, looking at Klaus and Elijah accusingly. "You didn't ask to be brought back."

"It's true," said Klaus. "But I think you'll find you're the only one at this table who's sorry I did it, mate."

Alaric glanced around and saw that everyone, besides Klaus and Elijah had suddenly looked down at their plates. He sighed, knowing Klaus was right. Everyone, including himself, had wanted Josie back.

"Can we just move on?" asked Jeremy. "We're all happy Jo is back."

"We will do everything in our power to keep you and your family safe," said Elijah, looking at Alaric. "As well as Mystic Falls itself. This is our home now too."

"We protect what's ours," affirmed Klaus, reaching out to grab Josie's knee.

"Does anyone want more bread?" asked Jenna, trying for a change of subject. "I can cut more."

Jeremy nodded and everyone went back to eating, with smaller side conversations springing up along the table.

The rest of dinner was thankfully uneventful. After they'd finished dessert, they moved into the living room. Alaric and Jenna were both several glasses of wine in and were obviously feeling more relaxed.

"So, I have to ask," said Alaric to Klaus. "What was the Rip Van Winkle distillery like? They don't give tours, I heard."

Klaus smiled. "Compulsion has its uses…"

Then he began a long description of the Kentucky distillery that Josie quickly tuned out.

"The intricacies of whiskey-making not interesting, my dear?" asked Elijah, sitting beside Josie on the couch.

"Not even a little," laughed Josie. "What about you?"

"There are other subjects I would prefer to speak about."

Josie laughed again. Elijah was so polite.

"Speaking of… we never did get that dinner," said Josie, remembering she and Elijah had planned to have dinner before she went back her world.

"Perhaps the day after tomorrow?" suggested Elijah.

"Sure."

"I assume you are attending our party tomorrow."

Josie nodded. "Of course. Sounds like Rebekah's put a lot of work into it."

"We all have," said Elijah, nodding. "It is our first Christmas together in a long time."

"Since New Orleans, right?" guessed Josie.

"Yes," said Elijah, smiling. "We had many enjoyable Christmases there."

Josie smiled as his nostalgic expression. "You were happy there."

Elijah nodded. "I am hoping we can be happy here in Mystic Falls the same way."

"I hope so too," said Josie, nodding and looking over at Klaus, who was still engrossed in a conversation with Alaric.

o – o – o – o – o

"So this is going well," said Jenna, leaning against the counter next to Josie.

It was an hour after dinner had ended and everyone was still drinking and conversing in the living room. Alaric was now talking to Elijah, Jeremy and Klaus about something hunting-related, while Anna and Elena were talking about an upcoming dance at school.

Josie was in the kitchen, getting a glass of water. She was too jet-lagged for more wine.

"It is," agreed Josie, drinking her water. "Especially considering the conversation earlier."

Jenna looked down. "I'm sorry, Jo. I know it's not fair to blame Klaus and his family for everything that's happened in the past year and a half. I just worry about you guys. And I worry I'm not doing enough to keep you safe."

Josie smiled. "You're doing your best, Jenna. It's all any of us can do."

Jenna nodded. "I'm glad you're back, Jo. We missed you around here."

"I missed you guys too."

Alaric stood up at that moment, clearing his throat to get everyone's attention. Jenna and Josie walked into the living room. Josie sat down, but Alaric pulled Jenna to his side.

"I wanted to say how glad I am that we could all be here tonight together," Alaric began, raising his glass. "I know we have our differences, but everyone is here because they are important to the Sommers-Gilbert family and I'm honored to be a part of it."

Alaric smiled over at Jenna, who beamed back at him.

"I love you more than anything, Jenna. I know this past year has been difficult, but if we made it through that, I know we can make it through anything life throws at us. And we'll do it together… Because you are the person I want to wake up next to for the rest of my life."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box, before getting down on one knee. Elena grasped Josie's hand in shock and everyone's jaw dropped.

"Jenna Anne Sommers, will you marry me?"

Jenna looked shocked. She blinked a few times before giving Alaric the biggest smile Josie had ever seen.

"Yes," she said, nodding her head. "Of course, yes!"

Alaric took the diamond ring nestled in the box and put it on Jenna's finger before getting up and kissing her.

Everyone immediately stood up and started talking at once.

"Congratulations!" exclaimed Elena, enveloping Jenna in a hug.

"Nice, dude," said Jeremy, hugging Alaric. "Welcome to the family."

"What a beautiful ring!" exclaimed Josie as Jenna held out her hand. "You're getting married!"

Jenna giggled, looking at the ring with wonder then back at Alaric with love in her eyes.

"I guess I am!"

Elijah, Klaus and Anna offered their congratulations as well and a few minutes later, Elijah and Klaus magically produced a bottle of champagne and everyone gave toasts to the happy couple.

Another few hours and Jenna and Alaric announced they were going to bed. Jeremy and Anna left shortly after as Jeremy was spending the night at Anna's.

"I'll see you later, love," said Klaus, kissing Josie as he and Elijah left.

"Thanks for coming," added Elena.

"Of course," returned Elijah. "We will see you both tomorrow."

Elena and Josie nodded before closing the door behind the Mikaelson brothers.

"I'm going to bed too," said Elena.

Josie nodded. "I'll be up in a little bit."

She watched Elena retreat up the stairs before she grabbed her purse and headed out of the house.

o – o – o – o – o

"Josie Gilbert… To what do I owe the pleasure?" drawled Damon, leaning against the doorframe of the Boarding House.

Josie smiled and rolled her eyes. "It's good to see you too, Damon."

"Is it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I heard you didn't want to come back here…"

"Things change," said Josie, tilting her head. "Are you pissed I lied about where I came from?"

Damon shrugged. "If I were from another world, I'd lie about it too. Still not sure I believe it."

"You think I'm crazy?"

"I think magic can do a lot of things, but other worlds… Of course a TV show makes sense. I'm obviously handsome enough to be an actor," he smirked.

"Your head's big enough too," said Josie, smirking back. "Now, aren't you going to invite me in?"

Damon looked at her curiously, but retreated from the door, indicating she should follow.

"Where's Stefan?" she asked, following him into the living room.

"Hunting," said Damon. "Some of the tastiest animals are nocturnal. Drink?"

He offered her a glass. She shook her head.

"No, thanks. It's late. I can't stay long."

Damon poured himself a glass. "I'm guessing by your tone this isn't a drop-in to say hello."

"Hot and smart," chuckled Josie as Damon sat down beside her. "Definitely not a Hollywood actor."

Damon shook his head. "What's up, Josie? If this is about Elena…"

"I'm not here to talk about my sister, Damon. What's between you two is… between you two."

Damon narrowed his eyes. "How was your dinner? Elijah enjoy being fawned over by Jenna and Elena?"

Josie rolled her eyes. "I told you, I'm not here…"

"To talk about your sister," finished Damon in an annoyed tone. "Fine, then why are you here?"

Josie took a deep breath. "Before I tell you this, I wanted to say I'm sorry… I should have told you this a long time ago. When I first came here, I didn't think you'd believe me and then, when everyone found out about my visions, I spent the summer hunting werewolves with Klaus and then we got back and had to deal with Esther. Plus the Butterfly Effect has screwed me more than once…"

"Just spit it out, Josie," said Damon, rolling his eyes. "What the hell are you trying to say?"

Josie took another deep breath. "Your friend Enzo's alive. He didn't die in that fire. He's still an Augustine vampire at Whitmore. And I'm going to help you rescue him."

 **A/N: So I decided to include Enzo. I watched the episode where he was introduced and I remembered how much I liked him as a character. Then I had a few ideas about how to include him in the next arc…**

 **Also, the 'Pappy' thing was inspired by a real-life convo I had with my uncle, who's a bourbon enthusiast. Apparently that shit is a big friggin deal, who knew?**

 **As always, let me know what you think!**


	68. So This is Christmas

Damon's gaze widened at Josie's revelation.

"Enzo?" he repeated. "Is… alive? How? How did he escape the fire?"

"I don't know," she said, honestly. "The important point is that he's alive and still being used in Augustine's sick experiments."

"Are you kidding me?" growled Damon, clenching his glass in anger. "You've known about this the whole time? Over a year?"

Josie cringed. "I'm sorry, Damon. I should have told you…"

"You're damn right you should have!" Damon cut her off, practically shouting. "Do you even know what they did to us in there?

Josie lowered her eyes, fighting back tears. She felt awful. He was right.

"I know," said Josie. "I'm sorry. I had time when I was back home to think about things. Things I would have done differently if I had the chance… I'm trying to make this right. I promise I'll do whatever it takes to rescue him."

Damon growled and threw his glass into the fire in a fit of rage. Josie winced as the glass smashed and the alcohol caused the fire to flare.

Damon looked into the fire for a second longer before turning back.

"Tell me everything," he said in a dangerous voice. "Everything you know about Augustine."

Josie nodded and told him everything, though she suspected much of it he already knew. She told him how Augustine was a secret society at Whitmore College whose goal was to experiment on vampires to further modern medicine.

That they recruited promising college students into their ranks and that Grayson Gilbert had been a member until his death and that the current lead 'doctor' was a Dr. Maxfield. And that, as far as she could tell, Enzo was being held in the same place he'd been when Damon left- the Whitmore House basement.

"So getting him should be a breeze," said Damon, standing up. "Get in, feed him a couple blood bags, get out."

"Damon, wait!" exclaimed Josie, as it seemed like he was about to go to Whitmore this second. "You need an invitation to get in."

"Right," said Damon tightly. "Well… if Dr. Grayson Gilbert was such a fine, upstanding member of Augustine, I'm sure they'd welcome his daughter with open arms."

Josie smiled slightly, glad Damon was focused on the rescue plan and not his anger at her.

"I'm sure they would," nodded Josie. "I'll contact Dr. Maxfield. As soon as I can set a meeting, we'll go."

"Perfect," smirked Damon. "Oh and one more thing. This stays between us. I don't want anyone to know until we've rescued Enzo."

Josie frowned. "Why not?"

"Because Stefan will want to help and your sister will say it's too dangerous and I don't want to deal with them right now. Augustine was a part of my life I've never told anyone about… It's the least you can do."

Josie sighed, but nodded, feeling guilty that she hadn't told him until now.

"Okay," she said. "I'll let you know when I hear back from Dr. Maxfield."

o – o – o

"Good morning!" smiled Jenna brightly as Josie entered the kitchen the next morning. "First night back. Did you sleep well?

"Not as well as you," replied Josie, pouring herself some coffee. "Of course my boyfriend didn't propose and give me a big, fat engagement ring yesterday so…"

Jenna just smiled again and stuck a piece of bread in the toaster.

"I think I'm still in shock," said Jenna, sipping her own coffee. "I can't stop looking at my finger."

She held out her hand to look at the engagement ring again.

Josie giggled. "Would you two like to be alone?"

Jenna laughed too. "Toast?"

"Sure," said Josie, sitting on a stool by the island.

"There's something I wanted to ask you. You and Elena both, but she went out for breakfast with Caroline."

Josie nodded. "Sure, what's up?"

"Alaric and I were talking last night and we're thinking of getting married this spring, at the lake house."

"Wow, okay. That's soon."

Jenna shrugged. "We don't see the point in putting it off."

Josie smiled. "I'm sure it'll be beautiful."

"I hope so… I'm also hoping you and Elena will be my bridesmaids."

Josie gasped, hugging Jenna. "Of course! I'd be honored. I'm sure Elena will too."

"Great," said Jenna, hugging Josie back. "I already have ideas for dresses. Don't worry, no puffy sleeves or lacy frills."

Josie smiled. "I appreciate that."

"Here," said Jenna, handing Josie a piece of toast. "I've also thought about our conversation yesterday. About school."

"Yeah?"

"I talked to Alaric about it, as a teacher, and he agrees with you."

Josie blinked. "Really?"

Jenna nodded. "He thinks the most important thing is that you have the knowledge you need. That you put the work in. Diplomas and degrees are just formalities."

"Does that mean you're saying yes?" asked Josie with a pleading look.

"It means I want a plan," said Jenna, though Josie could swear she heard Alaric talking. "An actual plan. What classes you'll take and where. What the entrance requirements are. Where you would need help with compulsion and how much it's going to cost."

Josie was nodding all the way up until the cost part. She didn't have the money to pay for college, even at the community level, and getting loans took time.

"Don't worry about the cost," said Jenna, seeing Josie's glum expression. "Your parents, well Grayson and Miranda, put together college funds for all three of you. You can access it when you're 18, which is this summer. Until then, we should have enough in the budget to cover tuition."

"Okay. I'll have a plan by, say, tomorrow?"

Jenna nodded and then turned the subject to the wedding. Josie just nodded through the discussion of showers, colors, vow-writing, etc, chiming in when she thought it was appropriate. Clearly Jenna had been thinking about getting married for a while.

Josie idly wondered if she'd ever get married. She didn't really think Klaus was the marrying type, but then again, she never thought he would fall in love, so anything was possible. She sighed, trying not to think about the future. When you were dating a vampire, that was generally for the best.

o – o – o

"Hey," said Josie, as Klaus opened the front door to the Mikaelson house. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, my dear."

She reached up to kiss him.

"How's your day been?" asked Josie.

"Full of people traipsing all over my bloody house," he grumbled, eyeing the staff that was setting up for that evening's Christmas party.

"It's not only your house, Nik," said Rebekah, rolling her eyes. "This is our first Christmas party in Mystic Falls. Kol's even agreed to come."

"He has?" asked Josie, smiling.

Josie felt bad that Kol had left Mystic Falls because he'd been fighting with Klaus over whether or not to bring Josie back. She knew she couldn't claim responsibility for a thousand years of sibling strife, but she had hopes that Kol and Klaus could reconcile.

"After Nik agreed to put the daggers away in honor of Christmas," said Rebekah, directing a worker with a box of Christmas lights over to the staircase. "And he has news about Silas."

"News?" echoed Josie. "What news?"

"We don't know," answered Rebekah. "He refuses to say until he arrives."

Klaus' expression was sour. "Kol always did have a flair for the dramatic."

"Yeah, because you don't have any melodramatic tendencies," remarked Josie, sarcastically.

Rebekah laughed. "She's not wrong, Nik."

Klaus did not look amused.

"Well I should go get ready," said Josie. "Klaus had the tailors deliver my dress here, so…"

Josie wished Rebekah good-bye and made her way up the stairs to Klaus' room.

o – o – o

"Did you have fun last night?" asked Josie, who had just stepped out of the bathroom in Klaus' room after showering. "Wasn't too awkward?"

"It wasn't… unenjoyable," said Klaus, who was sitting on a couch, sketchpad in hand.

"Is my family that bad?" giggled Josie.

"Apart from the accusations of reckless endangerment and murder, it was quite pleasant."

Josie rolled her eyes. "You telling me you didn't enjoy talking Alaric's ear off about your special Poppy booze?"

"It's Pappy, love," he said, shaking his head. "And I must admit, it was nice to speak with someone who appreciates good liquor. Unlike Elijah who has more affinity for wine or Kol and Rebekah, who will drink anything liquid."

Josie smiled. "Well, I thought it didn't go that badly." She bit her lip and went to sit next to him. "It's important to me that you guys can at least tolerate each other."

"I'm aware, my love," he said, pulling her into his lap. "Which is why I attended."

"When you would have rather been doing something else?"

"Anything else," he corrected, smirking.

"Thank you for going… And trying. And for the delicious champagne."

He smiled. "You're welcome."

"I can't believe Jenna and Alaric are getting married. They've only been together for maybe a year."

Klaus looked at her intensely. "When you've found the right person, a year could be all the time one needs. Perhaps less."

"I guess," said Josie, thoughtfully. "Does that mean you never found the right person? Not in a thousand years?"

"There was someone, once," said Klaus, eyes suddenly far away. "But she couldn't see past what I was. The things I had done. After her… I suppose I abandoned the idea."

Josie's face fell at the mention of (most likely) Aurora. Especially since Aurora had actually loved him and had only said all those awful things to him because of Elijah's compulsion. She sighed, knowing she had no right to tell Elijah's secret.

Plus it didn't feel good, really. Knowing the guy she was in love with didn't believe in marriage apparently.

"Well marriage isn't for everyone," said Josie, trying to get up from Klaus' lap.

He held her firm, however, hands gripping her hips.

"What about you?" asked Klaus, running a hand down her cheek. "Do you imagine marriage in your future?"

"Honestly, yes," said Josie, hesitantly. "When the time is right. I think it's… symbolic, you know. When you stand up in front of your family and friends, and promise to be with only one other person… forever." She paused, looking into his eyes. "I want that."

He just looked at her with an unreadable expression.

"I'm sure you'll get it," he said, cupping her face and kissing her. "You deserve it."

Josie frowned at his odd, yet evasive, answer, but soon lost herself in his kiss. She pulled away to catch her breath and her eyes widened when she saw the clock on his nightstand.

"Shit!" she exclaimed, hopping off Klaus' lap. "I have to start getting ready."

Klaus just chuckled as she raced back to the bathroom to start doing her hair.

o – o – o

Josie was just putting the finishing touches on her make-up on when she noticed a beautiful mirror she'd never seen before on a nearby dresser. It looked ancient and a bit out of place as it was ornately decorated and was clearly feminine.

"Where did you get this?" asked Josie, picking up the mirror and looking into it.

Klaus looked a little startled when he glanced up from the book he was reading.

"From a coven of witches that practiced in New Orleans nearly two centuries ago. It was said it could see into a person's soul and reveal their true heart's desire."

Josie frowned. "I desire myself?"

She looked into the mirror again and she saw herself, like any ordinary mirror.

"It's just a story," chuckled Klaus. "The witch in question wanted a favor and was trying to appease me."

"Did you do her the favor?"

Klaus smirked. "That is a story for another time." He paused, putting down his sketchbook and speeding over to her. "Need help getting into your dress, love?"

Josie smiled as Klaus nuzzled her neck and pulled her flush against him. He quickly removed her clothes and sped them both to the bed, throwing her on her back.

She opened her mouth to protest his rough treatment (she had spent the last 45 minutes getting her hair and make-up in a decent state), but he was already kneeling between her spread legs, licking her slit. He pushed two fingers inside her and set a furious pace, quickly bringing her to the edge and pushing her over.

He gave her no time to recover before he flipped her over onto her hands and knees and pushed inside her, causing her to moan loudly.

She rocked back against him, encouraging him to move faster. He growled and tightened his grip on her as he complied, thrusting into her harder.

"Fuck, Klaus!" Her fingers curled into the sheets and a moan tore from her throat when he reached around to play with her clit.

Already sensitive from her earlier orgasm, it wasn't long before she tensed again and screamed, tightening around him. He growled one last time before joining her, spilling himself inside her. They both collapsed to the bed, Josie breathing heavily while Klaus placed soft kisses on her neck.

After her breathing had returned to normal, she turned around to face him, pushing her hair out of her face.

"You're going to have to explain to Rebekah why we're late," she said, shaking her head.

"Party's just started," said Klaus, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. "We won't be excessively late."

Josie scoffed. "You ruined the hairdo I spent 30 minutes on," she scolded, sitting up.

"I think you look lovely like this," said Klaus, running a hand through her hair.

Josie rolled her eyes. "Yes, the 'just been fucked' look screams class."

She headed back to the bathroom to fix her hair.

"You are beautiful," said Klaus, appearing in front of her. "And there's nothing wrong looking like you've just had a tumble. People know you're spoken for."

Josie just laughed. "As if they didn't know already."

She reached up and frowned a bit when she realized there was no bite mark there.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Learning to control yourself?" she countered, turning on the curling iron.

Klaus just tilted his head, confused.

"I would have thought you'd want to mark me again," shrugged Josie. "But you haven't. Not since I've been back."

"I bit you the night you came back," frowned Klaus, lifting her hair to reveal the faded scar on the back of her neck, but nothing fresh.

Josie frowned. "How did I heal that fast? I haven't had any vampire blood."

Klaus shook his head. "I don't know."

"Maybe a side effect of coming back?" guessed Josie. "The journey is probably difficult on the body. Maybe it's lingering protection?"

"Perhaps."

Klaus sighed when there was a knock on his bedroom door and a shout from Rebekah beyond it.

"Tell her I'm coming," said Josie, picking up the curling iron to try and salvage her hairdo.

o – o – o

It was thirty minutes later when Josie and Klaus descended the stairs into the grand foyer of the Mikaelson house. Josie nearly missed a step looking at all the decorations in their final state. Twinkling lights, luscious garland and tiny sprigs of mistletoe hung from every surface, while no less than a dozen Christmas trees were lavishly decorated and placed around the foyer and ballroom.

While Klaus went to greet the mayor, Josie made her way to where Rebekah and Mason were standing, talking to Elena and Elijah.

"Everything looks beautiful, Rebekah," said Josie. "Including your dress. Did you get that in Vienna?"

Rebekah nodded. "Mason found this little boutique just off the Kohlmarkt." Rebekah paused, looking at Josie's dress. "Is that from Paris?"

Josie nodded. "We were walking along the Champs-Élysées and I saw it and well…" she trailed off. "Klaus insisted."

"Well, the best fashion is from Europe," said Rebekah. "Any well-dressed girl knows that."

She looked at Elena with narrowed eyes, obviously meaning to insult her and her locally-bought dress.

Rebekah still didn't like Elena. Not that Josie could blame her. Elena had literally stabbed her in the back a few months ago, though she'd apologized since. Josie was just glad Rebekah was only dishing out verbal assaults.

"Now, now, Rebekah," chided Elijah. "I think Elena looks lovely tonight."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "You're so predictable, Elijah."

"Why isn't anyone telling me I look lovely tonight?" Mason cut in, obviously trying to relieve the tension.

Josie smiled. "You clean up very well, Mason."

"Yes… That tie truly brings out your eyes," Elijah deadpanned.

Everyone's head whipped around, surprised at Elijah's quip.

"Did Elijah just make a joke?" asked Josie.

Rebekah smirked. "It happens about once a century."

"Lucky us," said Elena, smiling at Elijah.

"Indeed," said Elijah, smiling back. "Miss Gilbert, would you like to dance?"

Elena chuckled at his formality. "Sure."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Is there ever going to be a Petrova doppelganger my brother doesn't fall for?"

Josie tilted her head, watching Elena and Elijah dance. She suspected that Elena had a small crush on Elijah, but she didn't really think that Elijah felt the same way.

"I don't know, Rebekah," said Josie. "I think Elijah's just being polite."

"Maybe," said Rebekah. Then she frowned, obviously listening with her vampire hearing to something. "Kol's just arrived. He and Klaus are already arguing."

She left quickly, leaving Mason and Josie alone, standing next to the dance floor.

"Not sure Rebekah really going to diffuse that situation," said Josie, shaking her head. "You're not going to intervene?"

Mason shook his head vehemently. "Took me about five seconds to realize that getting in the middle of the Original Family's arguments…"

Josie nodded. "That way lies badness. So, how've you been? How's the pack? I missed you guys."

"Good, good," said Mason, nodding his head. "Been looking for Silas and Diana. Training. Figuring out everyone's strengths- this one guy is a whiz with the stock market and we have a lawyer who's been taking care of some of our legal troubles… Anyway, everyone's settled in Mystic Falls or nearby."

Josie smiled. "That's great to hear."

Mason returned her smile. "Actually had an alpha come to me a week ago, looking to see if his pack could be turned."

Josie blinked in surprise. "Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Do they know about the sire bond?"

Mason nodded. "The thing people, non-werewolves, don't realize is that the sire bond isn't super different from the bond wolves already feel towards their alpha."

"Not to mention the pain of turning. Being strong, fast and immortal."

Mason smiled. "One bite will kill a vampire."

Josie shook her head, remembering the infamous rivalry between vampires and werewolves.

"Don't worry," said Mason. "We haven't had an occasion to bite the Salvatores."

Josie raised her eyebrows. "No?"

"I guess Klaus kicking them out of Mystic Falls humbled them a bit."

"Damon Salvatore, humble?" laughed Josie.

Mason shrugged. "He's been leaving the pack alone."

"Good."

"Josie!" came a voice from behind them.

Mason and Josie turned to see several members of the hybrid pack coming towards them. Josie hugged them all, happy to see them.

"I love your dress," said Alice, smiling. "Klaus said you went shopping in Paris."

Josie smiled back. "Yeah, we did."

"Klaus promised the next international assignment is mine," said Alice. "I've never been abroad."

"You could have come to Italy if you wanted," chimed in James.

"My dog had just given birth to puppies," defended Alice. "Plus you guys had more than enough people to go."

"True," said Mason. "Everyone wanted to go rescue you in Italy."

"Me?" asked Josie, a little surprised.

"Of course, silly," said Alice. "Klaus was a wreck without you. Plus, we missed you."

"Pack wasn't the same," nodded James. "Klaus turned a small werewolf pack from Delaware and Mason completely screwed up their welcome."

Mason scoffed. "In my defense, they had places to stay and were included in all pack activities."

"But no party, no welcome celebration," said Alice. "We didn't realize you were the one that put those 'Welcome to Mystic Falls' packets together and the 'moving checklist'."

Josie frowned. "I'm sorry about that, guys. I should have emailed you a copy of those."

"Well now you're back, so it's all good," said James.

"Yes, it is," said Kol, who'd just joined the group. "Mind if I steal her for a dance?"

The hybrids narrowed their eyes, but didn't say anything as Kol led Josie away from the group and onto the dance floor.

"You're looking beautiful this evening, darling," said Kol as he twirled her around.

"Thanks. You're not so bad yourself."

"Oh, no need to deceive," smirked Kol. "You know I'm the most handsome man you'll be dancing with."

Josie laughed, but quickly turned the conversation to serious matters.

"So what's the news about Silas? What did you find when you went to Nova Scotia?"

Kol's smirk fell. "The tomb was empty. Silas is gone."

Josie sighed. "You were right. Your mother didn't seal him in."

"The rocks should have been enough to keep him in."

Josie frowned in confusion.

"He didn't break out, love," explained Kol. "Someone extracted him."

"Who? Diana?"

"I'm not sure. But I'm going to find out."

The worried look on Kol's face was mirrored in Josie's countenance. Silas was gone. The rumor that Kol had heard in Europe was true. He must be trying to lower the Veil and with Diana's help, it wouldn't take them long.

"Mind if I cut in?" asked Klaus, appearing beside them.

"Song just started, Brother," said Kol.

Klaus growled. "Haven't you caused enough trouble here tonight?"

"I'm trying to help this family," said Kol, coldly, but stepping away from Josie. "And all you have for me are dagger threats. If only I'd been awake when those witches made that gold dagger."

"Yes," said Klaus, taking hold of Josie. "It's too bad I had it magically melted before you had a chance to stab me in the back."

"It wouldn't be anything you haven't done to me a dozen times over," growled Kol, leaving in a huff.

"Sorry about that, love," said Klaus, as he and Josie started dancing.

"What was that about? I thought we were all on the same side?"

"As did I… We all want to find and destroy Silas as well as Diana. However, Kol thinks we ought to put our faith in the witches."

"And you don't agree?"

"Witches are what got us in this bloody mess in the first place!" snarled Klaus, drawing a few wary looks from nearby couples dancing. "Sharing information with them could prove disastrous."

"So what do you want to do?"

Klaus then launched into a long, complicated description of all his various contacts, search methods, etc. It mostly involved humans, hybrids and other vampires. All people he could easily influence or manipulate.

When the song ended, Josie took the opportunity to visit the bar and grab a flute of champagne. She was soon joined by her friends, Colin, Tracy and Bridget and spent most of the evening with them, catching up on everything she had missed.

Thankfully, the rest of the party was relatively peaceful, though Kol left early, visibly upset from yet another heated encounter with Klaus.

Josie just listened patiently when Klaus told her all about it later on when they were alone in his bedroom. And when she couldn't take his ranting anymore, she climbed on top of him and shut him up the best way she knew how. Given the way he stopped talking, it didn't seem like he minded much.

o – o – o

Josie stepped out onto the front patio of the Grill and dialed Damon's number.

It was a few days after Christmas and it had been eerily quiet. Not a peep had been heard about Finn, Silas or Diana's whereabouts. Josie had spent the time with Klaus, her family, her friends and the hybrids.

Kol was off searching for information from his various witch contacts, despite Klaus' opposition. Elijah had left the day after Christmas (postponing his and Josie's dinner date) to look for Finn and Sage. So far, nobody'd had any luck. Whatever Silas and Diana were planning, they were doing it very quietly.

Jenna had approved Josie's college plan and it had only taken about an hour and a copious amount of compulsion from Klaus to get Josie registered for classes at the local community college. She was officially a college student and no longer had to attend high school.

"Hey, Josie," came Damon's voice over the phone. "News?"

"The meeting with Dr. Maxfield is tonight. 6.00 p.m. at Whitmore House."

"I'll pick you up around 3," replied Damon. "I had an idea about how to get an invite."

"See you then."

Damon hung up and Josie closed her eyes against the cool morning December air. She knew nobody would be happy that she was going to help Damon rescue Enzo, but didn't see a way around it. If anyone knew, they'd try to stop her and she was an essential part of the plan.

She swallowed the lump of guilt in the back of her throat when she saw her phone ringing. It was Klaus.

"Hey," she said, answering the phone.

"Hello, love. How's your breakfast?"

"Good," she replied. "How's training with the pack?"

"Splendid. I know you have plans for this evening, but perhaps you'd like to join me for lunch and a round of archery?"

"Sure," she said, remembering she would need to tell her friend, Bridget, she couldn't come to her party tonight. "I can pick up something on the way."

Klaus agreed and they decided on a time before Josie hung up.

o – o – o

"Excellent," said Klaus as Josie released the arrow.

Josie frowned when it hit the ground a few feet in front of the target.

"How is that good?" she asked.

"Your stance has improved. Your grip and form were perfect," he explained. "You simply didn't follow through."

"What's there to follow through? You just let go."

Klaus chuckled at her slight pout and explained the basics of the follow-through.

"Okay, okay," said Josie, picking up another arrow and letting it fly.

This time it actually hit the target, albeit on the very outer edge. Still, an improvement.

"Much better," said Klaus, smiling at her.

She sent a few more arrows into the target before setting the bow down and giving her arm a rest.

"Not bad for a measly human, huh?" she asked, picking up a bottle of water.

Klaus smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

"You've improved greatly."

Josie smiled at his compliment. "Well I have a good teacher."

Klaus growled slightly and pulled her flush against him.

"And you, my love, are an excellent student."

"Hmm…" said Josie, nuzzling his neck. "And what's my reward for being such an excellent student?"

Klaus just growled again, this time more loudly, before speeding them inside to his bedroom.

o – o – o

"So… we should probably talk about what I wrote in that letter."

Josie and Klaus were lying in bed, her head on his chest, his arm around her.

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "You mean your Dear John letter from the night you left?

"Well I thought I was never coming back!" Josie defended. "And don't deflect the question."

Klaus sighed. "You really want to discuss my fathering a child with another woman?"

Josie sat up so she could look him in the eye. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry I wrote that in a letter. I should have told you earlier, but the time never seemed right."

Klaus nodded. "I do appreciate the warning."

"So I take it you haven't…" Josie trailed off.

"After the white oak stake was secure, my entire focus became finding Diana so she could return you. I assure you I didn't have time for dalliances with anyone, let alone werewolves with whom I can apparently procreate."

Josie smiled, glad he hadn't been with anyone else.

"Well, it's not a decision to take lightly," agreed Josie. She paused. "Have you thought about it? I know werewolves aren't exactly around every corner, but I meant what I said- you'd make a great dad."

Klaus expression darkened. "I very much doubt it. I didn't have much of one myself."

Josie frowned, knowing Klaus had been an amazing dad to Hope.

"I don't think that matters," said Josie, shaking her head. "My parents are divorced, which sucked, but I'd still like to think I'd be an okay mom. Someday."

"I'm sure you would, love."

"Though I don't know if I'd like being pregnant," said Josie, frowning. "One of my cousin's was pregnant last summer with twins and she blew up like a balloon. Her belly was out to here."

Josie gestured with her hands as far as they could go.

Klaus chuckled, gently nudging her to lay on her back. "I very much doubt that."

He kissed her chest, making his way south to her stomach. "Rest assured, you would be beautiful even with a belly…" he trailed off, his lips paused on her stomach.

He looked like he was listening to something.

"What?" asked Josie, looking at Klaus' frown. "What is it?"

He sat up. "How sure are you that I can only father children with a werewolf?"

"I'm sure," said Josie, sitting up again. "Why?"

"Then do you wish to explain to me whose child you're carrying?"

Josie blinked. "What?"

"You're pregnant, my dear. If it can't be mine, then I'd like to know whose it is."

Josie frowned. "That's impossible. I'm not a wolf and I haven't been with anyone else in months."

"I can hear the heartbeat, Josie," he said, his tone getting a little heated.

"That's not possible." She frowned. "I could have sworn. No, only werewolves."

"Then you've been with someone else."

"I haven't… I swear, I…"

She tried to breath deep. This wasn't happening. She had been so sure. A minute ago, she would have said 100%. When they'd explained it in the show, it had only been werewolves, right? But right now she couldn't recall the specific explanation they'd given.

Josie gasped as she was pulled out of the vision and back into the passenger seat of Damon's car. It was just after 3.p.m. and they were on their way to Whitmore to rescue Enzo.

"Are you okay?" asked Damon, frowning at her. "Did you have a vision?"

Josie nodded, still in shock. She did some quick mental math and realized her period was at least a week late, maybe more.

"Well what did you see?" asked Damon. "Something about tonight? About Enzo?"

"No," answered Josie, shaking her head, saying the first thing that came to mind. "Just something about another werewolf pack Klaus might turn."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Well I'm sure that news can wait until we get back to Mystic Falls."

Josie nodded, trying to keep her breathing even. Pregnant. She was pregnant with Klaus' kid. This was fucking ridiculous. Why call Hope a 'magical, miracle baby' if Klaus could knock up anyone? Damnit. What the hell was she going to do?

Her remarkable healing from Klaus' bite suddenly made sense. It wasn't lingering protection from Diana's interdimensional travel spell, it was the vampire blood from the baby in her veins. The same thing had happened to Hayley when she was pregnant.

"Are you alright?" asked Damon, a slightly worried look on his face.

Josie took a deep breath. She had promised Damon she would help. She just had to get through tonight and then she'd worry about this pregnancy thing later.

"I'm fine," replied Josie, trying to calm her pounding heart. "Let's just rescue Enzo."

 **A/N: Sooo… I wavered back and forth, but ultimately I decided I wanted Daddy!Klaus in this story and I had some ideas about future plotlines and character development (not just Klaus, but Josie too, as well as their families).**

 **I did consider having Klaus knock someone else up during the period when Josie was gone, but it broke my heart a little just thinking about it… Still debating whether to move the story to New Orleans or stay in Mystic Falls though.**

 **Also- props to the reviewer that suggested Josie find out about the pregnancy through a vision. I totally used your idea, so thanks! :-)**


	69. The Escape

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter! A few thoughts:**

 **For timeline reference, we are at Christmas 2010. Hope was born May 2012 (though oddly Hayley got pregnant in spring 2011- thanks to a reviewer for pointing out that weirdness). Anyway, Josie and Klaus' kid is due August 2011, which is a few months after TO started, so even if I move to New Orleans, the plotline would be fairly different.**

 **Also, I'm glad most people responded positively to the pregnancy aspect. And I appreciate those that didn't as well. I agree it's not necessarily a great time for Josie- she's quite young, plus, while her relationship with Klaus is good, they've only been together for a few months and are not really ready for this challenge. But that's what makes it interesting and (hopefully) intriguing to read!**

 **I'm not sure about boy vs girl for the kid. I am toying with the idea of twins. The fraternal sort do run in the family and Josie's cousin had twins, but two babies is a lot...**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. Enter Enzo!**

Josie was still in shock. She'd spent the last twenty minutes in the car on her phone, Googling. Based on a 'due date' calculator she found and accounting for the time disparity of when she was in her world, she was around 6 weeks pregnant, due end of August.

All the websites said she should take a pregnancy test, because a late period didn't necessary mean she was pregnant. But given the accelerated healing she'd experienced earlier this week, it seemed very likely. Plus her periods had always been regular.

How would Klaus react? He hadn't exactly been overjoyed when the New Orleans witches told him that Hayley was pregnant with his child. In fact, hadn't he told them to kill her and the baby, at least at first? Josie panicked a little, wondering if his reaction would be the same?

He hadn't been too pleased in her vision either. He hadn't even looked like he believed her. Would he believe it was an accident? That she really, truly had thought it could only happen with a werewolf and that it would be difficult even then (hence the term 'miracle baby')?

Then another ugly thought occurred to her- hadn't it been Klaus' desire to retake New Orleans that had made him stay there? If the witches hadn't tied Hayley to New Orleans and if Klaus hadn't discovered Marcel was alive and had taken Klaus' city from him, would Klaus have even stayed? Would Klaus have abandoned Hayley and would he do the same to Josie?

He already had the 'kingdom' of Mystic Falls- the mayor was practically in his pocket, the hybrid portion of the population was growing by the day, the Salvatores were subdued and the witch population was nonexistent.

He had remarked the other day how he was considering expanding his territory and how 'easy' it had been to take over Mystic Falls (which Josie had secretly laughed at, given the original storyline and how much trouble the Originals had had with the Scooby Gang). Once he found out about the baby, would he leave, seeking another location to conquer?

"So… you want to go over the plan again?" asked Damon, breaking the silence in the car as he and Josie drove to Whitmore House to rescue Enzo.

Josie blinked, registering what he'd said.

"We've been over the plan a million times," she said. "I've got it."

"You seem distracted," said Damon, his voice softening a little. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine," lied Josie. "Just a bit nervous, I guess."

Damon shook his head. "You're nervous? We're going back into the house where I was tortured for five years."

Josie sighed, instantly feeling bad about wallowing in her own problems. She needed to focus, Damon and Enzo's lives depended on it.

"It'll be fine," said Josie. "It's a good plan."

Damon smirked. "Of course it is. It was my idea."

Josie just laughed and shook her head at his ego.

"Hey… I wanted to thank you," said Damon. "I know it wasn't easy to tell me about Enzo, after all this time. But you did. And you're helping me rescue him."

Josie smiled. "Of course. Enzo seems like a… good guy. Or at least a loyal one. And nobody deserves what the Augustines do."

Damon tensed, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Josie's eyes narrowed. "Remember we're just here to get Enzo. Don't go getting any revenge ideas. You've done enough to the Whitmores."

Damon blinked. "You know about that?"

"That you've been systematically killing every Whitmore except one so they can live and produce another generation?"

"I take it from your tone you don't approve?"

Josie scoffed. "I'm never going to approve of just slaughtering people."

Damon frowned. "Then you're dating the wrong guy."

"Klaus doesn't…" Josie trailed off. "He hasn't been slaughtering lately."

Damon tilted his head. "I did notice that. You've got him on a tight leash."

Josie rolled her eyes. "Klaus is going to do whatever Klaus wants to do, no matter what I say. He recognizes that in order to have peace in his kingdom, you can't just go around killing people. Other people get upset by that, they plot revenge, etc. Look at the whole Silas/Diana thing."

"I'm surprised he let her live," commented Damon.

Josie sighed. "He wasn't planning to. He didn't want to kill her in front of me, so he ordered a few hybrids to take care of it, but she managed to get away from them. She must have suspected he was planning to kill her."

Damon looked surprised. "After a spell that big? She took out a group of hybrids?"

Josie nodded. "Expression is a bit bonkers."

"Does it make you cuckoo for cocoa puffs too?"

Josie raised an eyebrow. "You think it's making her crazy?"

Damon shrugged. "Look, I don't know Diana from Adam. But what kind of nutter kills twelve people just to bring a human girl from another dimension to save her son? Why not use all that power to find Kol and protect him? Or dump him in the ocean?"

Josie frowned. "I don't know."

Damon scoffed. "And now, what? She's going to drop the Veil to the Other Side and bring back every supernatural creature, just to get revenge on Klaus? Ten bucks says she's bringing back people who want her dead."

Josie bit her lip. "Maybe using too much Expression does make you crazy."

Had it affected Bonnie that way in the original storyline? Of course, Bonnie had only been using it for a few months. Diana had clearly been practicing Expression for years. It was not a comforting thought.

A vengeful Diana was awful. An insane, vengeful Diana sounded ten times worse. Josie put a protective hand over her still-flat stomach. What would Diana do if she found out about the baby?

o – o – o

Josie took a deep breath as she rang the doorbell of Whitmore House. She smiled when Dr. Maxfield answered.

"Miss Gilbert?" he asked.

Josie smiled. "It's Josie. You must be Dr. Maxfield. Thanks for meeting with me."

Dr. Maxfield smiled back. "Well, when I heard the daughter of Grayson Gilbert was interested in my research, I was happy to meet with you. I'm sorry about your father, by the way. He was a good man."

Josie suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Instead she plastered a fake sad expression on her face.

"Thank you… Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Dr. Maxfield didn't say anything, just moved aside.

"You don't think I'm one of them?" asked Josie.

Dr. Maxfield raised an eyebrow. "One of what?"

Josie smirked and stepped over the threshold. As she did so, she brought her right hand forward, that had previously been behind her back, and yanked hard on the rope she held.

Damon groaned as he slammed into the invisible threshold of Whitmore House.

"One of these," she said, voice dripping with disdain.

Dr. Maxfield just stared as Damon fell to his knees, the thick rope that was dripped in vervain burning around his neck, wrists and ankles.

"How…?" Dr. Maxfield seemed truly shocked. "Who is that?"

"Calls himself Dean," said Josie, rolling her eyes. "Like these things have names… I don't know if you heard, but my uncle, John Gilbert, recently passed away."

Josie really hoped she was selling this. She needed Dr. Maxfield to believe she was a vampire hater if this could work. They had agreed beforehand not to reveal Damon's true identity, just in case Dr. Maxfield had heard of Damon Salvatore.

"I hadn't heard," said Dr. Maxfield, voice full of sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that. John was a good man. A good hunter."

"Yeah, well, this thing," she looked coldly at Damon, "didn't agree."

"This is John Gilbert's killer?" questioned Dr. Maxfield.

"I think so," answered Josie. "My uncle taught me all about vampires. How to kill them… how to hurt them."

To emphasize her point, she tugged on the rope again and Damon groaned in pain, still on his knees.

"I managed to trap this one with the help of a witch friend," explained Josie. "He hasn't fed in three days and he's chock-full of vervain."

Dr. Maxfield smiled. "Your father would be proud."

Josie felt slightly sick under Dr. Maxfield's approving gaze. She was thankful Grayson Gilbert wasn't really her father.

"Thanks," she said, forcing another smile. "I know I'm only 17, but I'm hoping you'll consider my application for membership to Augustine." She tugged on Damon's rope to emphasize her words. "Think of him as the application fee."

Dr. Maxfield smiled. "I think we can talk about you joining Augustine… Just a second, I'll be right back."

Josie frowned as he opened a door to the right and walked through it.

Josie turned around to face Damon.

'What's going on?' he mouthed, still on his knees, playing the subdued vampire victim.

Josie shrugged. She had no idea what Dr. Maxfield was doing. She hoped he wasn't getting some type of weapon. What if he came back with a stake? They had been counting on Dr. Maxfield wanting to capture Damon, not kill him.

When the doctor returned with a stack of papers, Josie breathed an internal sigh of relief.

"We just need some general information," said Dr. Maxfield, walking over to where she was standing near the open door.

He handed her the stack of papers. Then he reached down and took the rope from Josie's hands. He tugged on it viciously and Damon growled in pain as he, once again, slammed against the barrier.

Josie caught a glint of silver out of the corner of her eye and before she could do anything, Dr. Maxfield had pushed a syringe into Damon's neck.

"What are you doing?" she gasped. "I told you he's full of vervain."

Dr. Maxfield narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Just a precaution. It won't kill him."

"Right, yeah…" Josie trailed off, acutely aware her concern for Damon's welfare threatened their charade.

Damon dropped immediately, unconscious, and Josie tried to keep her breathing even. This wasn't part of the plan.

Dr. Maxfield continued to scrutinize her face.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Wrong?" she repeated. "No."

She tried not to look down at Damon's prone form.

"Oh," said Dr. Maxfield. "I see what's going on."

Josie's eyes widened. "You… you do?"

She tensed, grabbing her purse in one hand. She had a knife and a stake in there. She could only hope to get to it before Dr. Maxfield could get to her.

"Yes," said Dr. Maxfield, almost smirking. "You've never killed one before, have you?"

Josie relaxed instantly. He wasn't suspicous of her intentions, he just thought she was young and inexperienced.

She shook her head in response to his question. "No, I haven't."

"We're not about killing here," said Dr. Maxfield. "We're trying to save lives here."

Again, Josie suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.

"Right," was all she said.

"Well," said Dr. Maxfield to Damon's unconscious form. "You are invited in."

He dragged Damon across the threshold. The vampire showed no signs of movement. The vervain dose must have been hefty.

At that moment, two men came into the entryway.

"Take him downstairs," said Dr. Maxfield, not sparing Damon a second glance. "Now, Josie. Let's step into my office."

Josie nodded numbly, trying to figure out what she should do next. She had to get away from Dr. Maxfield. Damon should be awake soon- he was resilient to vervain as he drank a little every day to ward off compulsion from the Originals.

She followed Dr. Maxfield to the door on the right and sat down in the chair opposite his desk.

Dr. Maxfield spent some time going over Augustine's history, goals, methods, etc. Josie just smiled politely though internally she wasn't sure how much of Dr. Maxfield's self-righteousness she could take.

"So what do you think would interest you?" asked Dr. Maxfield, after he'd finished explaining the various aspects of Augustine. "Are you thinking of becoming a doctor like your father?"

Josie shrugged. "It's possible... Hey, do you mind if I use the restroom?"

"Sure. It's the door opposite this one."

Josie smiled and left the office. Instead of heading into the bathroom, she walked along the corridor, opening doors as quickly and quietly as she could, trying to find a set of stairs to the basement.

When she finally found them, she went down the stairs and followed the dimly-lit hallway until she arrived at a new set of doors. The first one she opened looked like a laboratory of some kind. She felt sick when she saw all the various devices and instruments there.

She closed that door quickly and opened the next one. Bingo. A few steps and she had arrived at the side-by-side cells she remembered from the show.

"Damon!" she exclaimed, seeing him lying prone in the middle of one of the cells. "Damon!"

"Doc shot him up full of uber-vervain," drawled a voice from the other cell. "Augustine's special strain. He'll be out for the rest of the night at least."

Josie turned her head and saw Enzo standing there in the other cell. They hadn't been counting on some special type of vervain.

"Enzo," she breathed.

He frowned. "Who are you? One of Augustine's newest recruits?"

Josie scoffed. "Gross. Absolutely not."

"Then what are you doing here?"

She sighed. "It's a long story. I'm Damon's friend. He just found out you're alive. We're here to rescue you."

Enzo raised an eyebrow. "The Damon Salvatore I remember doesn't give a damn about anybody except himself."

Josie rolled her eyes. "You know that's not true. He left you because he had no choice. He didn't want to die. He flipped his humanity switch. That's how much it hurt him to leave you."

"What are you, his therapist?" asked Enzo. "Or his girlfriend?"

Josie laughed at that. "Thankfully neither. Now, we have to get going before Dr. Frankenstein realizes I'm not in the bathroom. Here."

She reached into her purse and pulled out a blood bag. Enzo immediately rushed to the front of his cell at the sight and held out his hand. Josie held it out, stopping just before Enzo's hand.

"We're really here to help you," she said. "Damon feels bad, even if he's too stubborn to say it. He didn't know you were alive until a few days ago. If I give you this, you have to promise not to hurt him. Or me."

Enzo sighed, gripping the bars to his cell.

"You got a name, sweetheart?"

"Josie."

"Well, Josie. I promise not to hurt Damon or you if you help me escape. But I will never forgive him."

Josie frowned, knowing that wasn't true. How Damon and Enzo had become good friends again.

"I should have known!" came a voice from behind Josie.

Josie whipped around to see Dr. Maxfield standing there with a gun in his hands.

"Dr. Maxfield," said Josie, backing away. "I was just looking at where you were keeping the vampires. I was curious and I…"

"Save your breath, Josie," scoffed Dr. Maxfield. "I'm usually pretty good at spotting vampire sympathizers."

"Maybe you're losing your touch," she said, trying to surreptitiously reach into her purse to get out her knife.

"Don't even think about it!" yelled Dr. Maxfield. "Hands up!"

Josie immediately complied, eyeing the gun in fear.

"Dr. Maxfield, please, don't…"

"I'm not going to kill you," Dr. Maxfield cut in. "A little compulsion should do the trick. It only takes a few hours to replace the entire body's blood supply with a transfusion."

"No, please…"

Dr. Maxfield quickly closed the distance between them and produced a syringe out of nowhere. Seriously where did he store all those syringes? Josie tried to fight him, but he used the butt of the gun to swipe at her temple and she felt the prick of the needle a split second later before all she saw was darkness.

When she awoke she was lying on the floor in front of the cell. Dr. Maxfield was nowhere to be seen. She sat up, marveling at the fact that she felt fine. She took a nanosecond to admire the effects of having a continuous stream of vampire blood in her system.

"How the bloody hell are you awake?" asked Enzo in surprise. "You've only been out for a minute."

Josie frowned. She didn't have time to explain the miracle baby thing.

"Here," she said in lieu of an answer.

She handed Enzo the blood bag that had fallen to the floor when she'd been surprised by Dr. Maxfield. He immediately tore into it and started drinking.

"Where did he go?" asked Josie.

"To the examination room, I suspect," said Enzo. "He can do the transfusion in there."

"Then he'll be back for me soon. How do we get these doors open?"

"The good doctor keeps the keys on his person." Enzo tensed. "He's coming."

Josie immediately dropped back to the floor, digging in her purse for her knife. She tried to even out her breathing when she heard the door to the dungeon open.

She heard steps coming closer and a pair of arms reach underneath her torso and legs. Just as Dr. Maxfield was lifting her, she gripped the knife tightly in her hand and stabbed in his general direction.

He howled in pain and immediately dropped her. When Josie opened her eyes, she saw she'd gotten him in the shoulder.

"You bitch!" he exclaimed, clutching his wound.

Josie scrambled to her feet just as he lunged again. Josie remembered some things from the few training sessions she'd had with Alaric and pivoted on the spot, using Dr. Maxfield's momentum against him.

He slammed into the row of bars in front of Enzo's cell. Enzo wasted no time and before Josie could say anything, he had snapped Dr. Maxfield's neck.

"It's been ages since I've had the strength to do that," Enzo said appreciatively.

"Celebrate later," said Josie. "We don't know where the two goons are that brought Damon down here."

Enzo groped into the doctor's front pocket and produced a set of keys, unlocking himself from the cell. She saw the slight hesitation when the door opened and he stepped through.

"You promised," said Josie.

"I promised not to hurt him," said Enzo, looking at Damon, who was still unconscious.

"He came here for you!" exclaimed Josie. "I can't get him out on my own."

Enzo hesitated for a second more, then growled and went to unlock the door to Damon's cell. Josie helped Enzo get Damon's body over his shoulder. Enzo grunted under Damon's weight.

"Some bloody rescue," he grumbled.

"Sorry," said Josie, stooping to pick up her knife. "You get him out, I'll follow."

Enzo frowned. "You're not coming with us?"

"I am," replied Josie. "Can't you just, you know, whoosh?"

Josie made a 'taking off' gesture with her hand, implying he use vampire speed.

"I've been starving for 70 years," snapped Enzo. "It'll take more than one blood bag to get my mojo back."

Josie huffed. "I could only fit one blood bag in the lining of my purse. I had to hide it in case they searched it."

She opened the door to the corridor and was relieved to find it empty.

"Let's go," she said. "With any luck, no one will notice we're gone until it's too late."

Miraculously, they managed to make it to the front door without interference. But when they opened the front door, they were shocked to see an older lady and a young man standing there, cell phone in hand.

"Dr. Maxfield isn't…" the man trailed off when he saw Josie and Enzo standing there, Enzo with Damon draped over his shoulder.

Enzo immediately flashed his vampire face at them. The older lady stumbled back and Josie pushed her out of the way, while Enzo barreled into the young man, knocking him to the ground.

Enzo dropped Damon and stooped to the ground, quickly snapping the young man's neck. There was a hiss of air and a dart appeared on Enzo's neck.

Josie turned around and saw the older woman with a small gun in her hands. Josie felt the prick of a dart in her shoulder, but didn't feel anything else.

"I'm not a vampire," said Josie, wringing the gun out of the woman's hands.

Enzo was still conscious, but looked weaker than before. Josie remembered that Enzo had developed a certain amount of immunity to vervain from being experimented on so much, so no doubt those darts packed a heavy dose of vervain.

Josie took the butt of the gun and hit the woman as hard as she could in the head. The woman slumped, losing consciousness immediately.

"Let's get out of here," said Josie. "Don't drink their blood."

No doubt he and the woman were drinking vervain, so feeding from them would make Enzo worse, not better.

Josie helped Enzo get Damon up and together they managed to make it down the steps to the lawn beside Whitmore House.

"People are coming," said Enzo, breathing heavy, listening. "A lot of them."

"We have to hide." Josie looked around. "There."

She gestured towards a row of tall, densely packed bushes that lined the far side of Whitmore House. If they could just get there, she could call somebody back in Mystic Falls.

Why had she listened to Damon about doing this on their own? Jenna was going to kill her. Not to mention Elena and Jeremy. And Klaus.

Enzo and Josie hobbled over to the bushes and managed to squeeze through a small opening between two hedges. Josie winced as the brambles tore at her clothes and skin, but finally they managed to make it to a narrow clearing between the hedges and the building.

They placed Damon down and crouched low, watching as the group of people, armed with guns and crossbows, discovered the older woman and young man on the front steps of the house.

"What's the next part of your grand rescue plan?" hissed Enzo.

Josie rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone. She could hear the angry shouts from the Augustine group. 'Find them!' and 'Kill them on sight!'

"Now we call in the big guns."

She hesitated over the call button next to Klaus' name.

"What's the matter?" asked Enzo. "Let me guess… Those 'big guns' don't know you're here."

Damon started stirring next to them.

"Damon!" Josie exclaimed. "Damon, wake up."

"He needs blood," said Enzo, falling back against the house. "We both do."

Josie sighed and held out her wrist.

"Just don't take too much," she said, pressing the call button.

She winced when Enzo's teeth sank into her right arm, while she pressed the phone to her ear with her left.

She waited with bated breath as the call made a connection. It started ringing, but a second later she heard another phone ringing outside the bushes.

Klaus picked up. "Josie?"

Josie frowned. She could have sworn she heard his voice in person, not over the phone.

"Klaus? Are you…?" she trailed off when the bush they were hiding behind was suddenly ripped from the ground and thrown away.

There, with an angry look on his face, stood Klaus. When Klaus saw Enzo with his fangs in Josie, he immediately lunged.

"Stop!" yelled Josie. "It's not… He's Damon's friend. He was their prisoner."

"Prisoner?" repeated Klaus, frowning.

"There they are!" came a shout from behind Klaus.

He turned and saw the Augustine group looking at Josie, Enzo and Damon. There were at least eight of them.

"Get them!" yelled one of the men.

"I'm afraid we can't allow that," said Elijah, appearing instantly beside Klaus.

Four of the group fired vervain darts at Elijah and Klaus. The darts hit them square in the chest. While they staggered back a bit, they seemed fairly unaffected as they plucked the darts out and let them fall to the ground. Being an Original had its perks.

"That was a mistake," said Elijah, looking at the hole in his suit with narrowed eyes.

Klaus smirked. "That's one of his favorite suits."

The group looked at Elijah and Klaus warily, clearly concerned their concentrated vervain darts had so little effect. One of them let loose an arrow at Klaus, who caught it in midair.

Klaus growled and zoomed to the person who had fired the arrow and snapped their neck.

"Anyone else want a go?" he asked.

Josie felt Enzo release her arm and stand up.

"I do," he said.

He sped to the nearest person, plunged his hand into their chest and curled it around their heart.

"Let's see how you like your insides being pulled out," he said as he extracted his hand.

The group started screaming and all ran back toward the front door of Whitmore House. They fired off a few rounds of the vervain darts, which was enough for Enzo to stop his pursuit.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" shouted Klaus turning back to where Josie and Damon were.

Damon groaned and sat up.

Klaus immediately grabbed him by the neck and shoved him against the side of the house.

"This is your doing!" he growled. "Explain yourself before I…"

"Stop it, Klaus!" Josie exclaimed, not wanting to hear whatever threat Klaus was about to dish out. "This isn't his fault. He was a prisoner too."

"Niklaus… perhaps a moment of restraint," said Elijah, coming to stand next to Klaus.

Klaus narrowed his eyes at Damon, but released him. Damon slumped back against the house.

"What is this prison you speak of, my dear?" asked Elijah.

"She means Augustine," said Enzo.

"It's a secret society of people here at Whitmore College," explained Josie. "They capture and experiment on vampires for medical purposes.

"Humans... experimenting on vampires?" said Klaus, looking angry.

"They use our immortality and our healing abilities against us," said Enzo. "I've been their captive for 70 years."

"And I was lucky enough to join him back in the 50s," said Damon, weakly. "Enzo, I'm sorry, man. I thought you were dead."

Enzo looked angry. "All that time. While you were out running wild, I had one single thought. That I would have the pleasure of killing you. Now you've ruined it."

Damon coughed. "What?"

"Your sidekick here made me promise not to harm you," said Enzo, eyeing Josie.

"I made no deal," breathed Damon. "You want your revenge, take it."

"Well this is all fascinating," said Klaus, in a bored voice. He turned to Enzo. "You want revenge on Damon Salvatore, you'll get no argument from me. Come along, love," he took Josie's arm. "We're going home."

Josie frowned, a thought occurring to her.

"How did you find us?" she asked. "How did you even know I was in trouble?"

"Elijah arrived a few hours ago and I called you to inform you were invited to breakfast tomorrow," said Klaus. "Naturally I was concerned when you didn't pick up or return my calls."

"My phone was on silent," said Josie. "But you didn't answer my question. How did you find me?"

Klaus fell silent and Elijah looked concerned.

"You didn't tell her, Niklaus?"

Josie frowned. "Tell me what?"

Elijah cleared his throat. "Gentlemen." He looked at Enzo and Damon. "Bit of a cold night, don't you think? In my day, we often drew warmth by lighting a bonfire. In celebration of your… liberation from this place, perhaps you'd join me in setting this building alight?"

Enzo and Damon both smiled.

"I like you already, mate," smirked Enzo.

Enzo, Elijah and Damon walked away, leaving Josie and Klaus alone.

"So… How did you find me?" Josie repeated, crossing her arms. "I know it wasn't Bonnie. She's out of town for the holidays."

"That mirror you found in my bedroom..." he began.

"What it shows you your true heart's desire and it led you here?"

Klaus sighed. "Not exactly... The mirror is a dark object, yes, but it's part of a set. The other half is the stone in your necklace."

Josie's hand went to her chest where the necklace Klaus had given her rested.

"I don't understand," frowned Josie.

Klaus looked uncomfortable. "A few choice words spoken in front of the mirror and it will show you the exact location of that stone."

Josie gasped, letting the words sink in. The time it took her to go from surprised to furious wasn't long.

"You stuck some magical GPS microchip on me?" Josie exclaimed. "How could you do that?"

Klaus growled. "I wouldn't have the need if you didn't run off all the bloody time! Playing hero, putting yourself in danger. And for what? Some vampire you've never even met!"

"I can't believe you!" she yelled. "After everything we've been through. You still don't trust me. All you want is to control me! Just like you do everything else in your life!"

Josie knew she possibly being slightly unfair, but she was so angry. How dare he track her without consulting her?

"You dare talk of trust!" Klaus shouted back. "After coming here tonight without telling a soul?"

Josie cringed. "Damon didn't want to tell..."

"Oh, well if Damon didn't want you to say anything, surely that's where your allegiance should lie."

Josie scoffed. "Damon is my friend, Klaus. He needed my help, he asked that I not say anything, so I didn't. That's what friends do for each other. Unlike you- you only lied because you knew I wouldn't agree to Big Brother watching my every move."

Klaus growled. "I will protect what's mine!" He flashed in front of her and gripped her arms. "And you are mine, Josie."

Josie pushed her hands to his chest, trying to get him to back off. She was still so angry about his controlling behavior.

"Get off me!" she shouted. "I..."

"What happened to your wound?" Klaus asked.

Josie gasped. "What?"

"That vampire fed from you..."

"His name is Enzo... He was weak, the Augustines were coming..." she trailed off.

Josie tried to pull back her arm, but Klaus held her firm.

"I'm still mad at you, you controlling jerk!" she exclaimed, tugging on her arm uselessly.

He pulled back the sleeve of her right arm to reveal smooth skin. There was some dried blood there, but no wound.

"How is this possible?" asked Klaus, his eyes lifting to look at her face.

Josie didn't say anything. She didn't want to lie (hadn't she just accused him of that), but she really didn't want to have this conversation right now.

"What aren't you telling me?" pressed Klaus in a dangerous voice. "You healed miraculously from my bite the night you came back... now this?"

Josie sighed. "Remember when I said you could father children with another werewolf?"

Klaus frowned in confusion. "Yes?"

"Well it turns out I was half-right."

Klaus' eyes widened. "You're... You..."

Josie bit her lip. "The reason I healed is because I have vampire blood in my system... I'm pregnant. And it's yours."

 **A/N: Ah, I know! Evil Cliffie. But the full conversation and aftermath is not going to be short and this chapter was already pretty long... Any thoughts on how it'll go?**

 **Also, I decided not to extend the Augustine bit of the story. Since the Originals are still in town at this point, it just didn't seem realistic that they would last longer than one encounter. I have this idea that Elijah especially would be repulsed by them and their methods and would see it as his duty or something to take them down.**


	70. You Can't Handle The Truth

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read this story thus far. I'm sincerely grateful for all your amazing reviews, views, follows & favorites! A few thoughts:**

 **The Gemini Coven- not sure. I loved Liv and Luke and of course Kai! But I wasn't a fan of Jo and thought the whole merge thing was kinda stupid. I don't remember much about the Heretics/Lily plotline, just that it wasn't my favorite. But the good thing about fanfic is that I get to play around with plots, just keep the concepts and the characters, so we'll see!**

 **For what Pastor Young/Council/etc are doing presently- Klaus and the Originals (plus the hybrid pack) pretty much have all of them in their pocket. I.e. Klaus is the de facto King of Mystic Falls at this point and with his family and the hybrids, he is unchallenged.**

 **Also, a few different POVs this chapter as there are some events Josie isn't present for that I wanted to write out, rather than just hear about later.**

 **Anyway, here's the next chapter-**

Klaus just stared at her, not saying a word.

"Klaus?" said Josie, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Klaus, say something."

"How long have you known?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

"I had a vision on the car ride down here."

Klaus clenched his jaw. "You knew... You knew and yet you chose to go through with this foolhardy rescue mission!"

"We had a plan, we just..."

"Did that plan involve you cowering in the bushes while you let another vampire feed from you?"

Josie winced. "There were complications..."

"How could you be so bloody stupid?" he shouted angrily.

Josie scoffed, her earlier anger surging back. "Fuck you! I'm the stupid one? You're the one who pissed off one of the most dangerous witches alive! What do you think that crazy bitch Diana is going to do when she finds out I'm pregnant with your kid!"

"Pregnant?" came a voice from behind Klaus.

Josie looked beyond Klaus' shoulder to see Elijah standing there.

"Is it true?" Elijah asked again, when neither Josie nor Klaus responded.

"Elijah, now is not the time..." said Klaus in a dangerous voice.

"It's true," confirmed Josie, ignoring Klaus. "When Klaus broke his curse, he regained the ability to have children. I thought it was just with other werewolves... Turns out I misinterpreted that."

She brightened when she saw a small smile creep onto Elijah's face. She had been so worried about Klaus' reaction, she had completely forgotten about Elijah's. He had been the one who originally fought for Hayley's pregnancy.

Josie felt an immense sense of relief at his presence. No matter what Klaus would do, Elijah would never abandon her. She was sure of it.

"This is a miracle," said Elijah, smiling and coming to stand beside Josie and Klaus.

"Miracle?" snarled Klaus. "It's a bloody disaster!"

Josie gasped, horrified at his reaction.

"How can you say that?" exclaimed Josie, putting a protective hand over her stomach. "You fucking asshole!"

"Diana is coming!" growled Klaus. "Silas promises the end of the world. And you would have me welcome yet another thing that will only weaken me against my enemies!"

"Niklaus!" scolded Elijah, putting a hand on Klaus' arm warningly.

"Thing?" Josie shouted. "That's all we are to you? Our relationship, this child, just some kind of fucking liability?"

Klaus snarled and threw Elijah's hand off, but Josie didn't give him a chance to reply, she was so angry at his response, so disappointed.

"I get it," she said with venom in her voice. "Love is a vampire's greatness weakness, right? Well let me help you."

She tore off the magical GPS necklace he'd given her and threw it on the ground.

"There!" she fairly screamed. "Now we aren't yours to protect anymore, you unfeeling cold-hearted jerk!"

And then she ran. She couldn't take another second of Klaus looking at her with such anger and disappointment that she was pregnant. His reaction was worse than she had imagined.

It was so... transactional. She and the baby were just his Achilles heel. He didn't see her as a blessing, her love and affection as a strength. He saw her as a weakness, something to be controlled, because she could be used against him. And clearly, a baby just made it worse.

o – o – o

"You ungrateful coward," growled Elijah after Josie had run away.

"Sod off, Elijah!" Klaus snarled back. "This doesn't concern you."

"Do not make the mistake of believing you are the only one that cares for her, Niklaus."

Klaus scoffed. "If you care for her at all, you would not welcome this!" Klaus clenched his jaw. "Don't you see? This will only put her in more danger. See how she behaves! If these 'Augustines' had laid a finger on her..."

Klaus saw red as he imagined the possibilities and another four or five bushes were uprooted and tossed angrily against the side of the Whitmore building that was slowly being engulfed in fire, courtesy of Damon and Enzo.

"She is young, yes," agreed Elijah. "And does not fully understand the danger she is in, even without the child." He paused. "Why have you not told her?"

Klaus knew Elijah was referring to the number of people and groups that had either attempted to bargain for Josie's Oracle services or flat-out tried to kidnap her over the past several months- ever since her Oracle status had become common knowledge in the supernatural community.

Klaus hadn't told her about any of it, beyond a few vague conversations. He didn't want her to worry, but perhaps honesty would have prevented secretive, idiotic rescue attempts like tonight's escapade.

Klaus growled. "I wanted to protect her! I would do anything for her... I have. And she dare accuse me of being unfeeling?"

Elijah frowned. "One might understand her point when you reject this... miracle, this gift she has given you."

"It's not a miracle!" snapped Klaus. "It's a bloody calamity! It's going to get us all killed."

Elijah sighed and turned his head, obviously listening for Josie who was still running, a few buildings over on the Whitmore campus. Klaus had been listening since she left, at the ready to assist if she needed it. From the look on Elijah's face, Klaus knew he would soon be chasing the wayward girl.

"Of all the moments in a thousand years," said Elijah, sadly. "This is the one you will come to regret the most, Brother. I guarantee it."

Then Elijah took off, wanting to make sure Josie was safe.

o – o – o

"And now?" asked Damon.

He turned back to Enzo as the fire quickly spread to encompass the entirety of Whitmore House with most of Augustine trapped inside, burning the legacy of pain and torture of the past 70 years.

"Now what, Damon?" asked Enzo. "I promised your sexy sidekick I wouldn't hurt you."

"That's it?" demanded Damon. "I saved you."

"After you left me there," growled Enzo. "You were the most important person in my life and you ruined me."

"We're even, Enzo," Damon growled back. "I risked my ass to come get you. If Augustine didn't get me, the Mikaelson clan would have fried my ass if something happened to Josie."

Enzo forgot his anger at Damon for a moment to contemplate the mystery of the 'big guns' that Josie had called to rescue them.

"Who were those two vampires?"

Damon sighed. "Klaus and Elijah. Original pains-in-my-ass."

"Originals?" Enzo echoed. "As in the Original family of vampires?"

"Yep."

"I thought they were a myth?" said Enzo. "Surely Klaus isn't real."

"Oh, he's real all right," said Damon in an annoyed voice. "The whole family of Originals lives in Mystic Falls these days. Call themselves the Mikaelsons."

"And what about the Whitmores?" asked Enzo, bringing the topic back to Augustine.

At that, Damon smirked. "What Whitmores? There's only one of those left..."

Enzo smiled broadly as Damon told him of his systematic revenge against the Whitmore family.

"Perhaps I wrote you off too quickly, mate," said Enzo, smirking as well. "But seeing as Augustine is finished, perhaps one final act of revenge, committed together, to bring us both closure and a new beginning?"

Damon raised an eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?"

Enzo smiled. "Tell me... where does the final Whitmore live? I assume it's somewhere close?"

Damon smiled back, clearly more than happy to kill the last Whitmore if it helped bury the hatchet between him and Enzo.

"Just a few miles," answered Damon. "Should we stop for drinks first?"

o – o – o

Josie didn't know how long she'd been running when she ran into a strong chest. She looked up and saw Elijah's concerned face.

"It's alright, my dear," he said, wrapping his arms around her.

Something broke inside and she began sobbing into his chest.

"How could he... I thought..." Josie cried as she clung to him, as if he were a lifeboat.

"Come along," he said comfortingly. "It's cold out here. Let's get you home."

Josie nodded and felt him loop his arms around her knees and back.

"Hold on," he said and she felt the air whoosh by her as he traveled at vampire speed.

He set her down outside the passenger door of one of the Mikaelsons' many cars. Opening the door, she settled herself into the seat.

"What about Damon and Enzo?" she asked, suddenly remembering why she had come to Whitmore in the first place.

"Their safety is not my concern," answered Elijah, as he turned on the car and pulled out of the parking spot.

Josie pulled out her phone and cringed when she saw the dozen missed calls and texts from Elena, Jeremy and Jenna.

"Did you tell my family I was gone?" asked Josie, frowning.

"We were simply trying to determine your whereabouts."

Josie sighed and quickly typed out a text to Damon that she was getting a ride home with Elijah, then another to Elena, Jeremy and Jenna that she was fine and would be home soon.

"How are you feeling?" asked Elijah.

Josie shrugged. "Fine. I mean, I'm pregnant, I just had an epic fight with my dead vampire boyfriend who knocked me up, and there's a crazy, vindictive witch whose sworn revenge on all of us, but you know I rescued Enzo and helped end a horrible, vampire-torturing secret society, so silver lining, right?"

Elijah smiled slightly at her rant. "I will always be there for you. Always protect you."

Josie smiled. "I know. Klaus is... he makes me crazy, you know? He's passionate and exciting and dangerous. And I..." She sighed. "I love it. I love him and his adventure and his unpredictability. But, I guess I'm appreciating your level head at the moment."

Elijah smiled, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Can you hear it?" Josie asked. "The heartbeat?"

"Yes," said Elijah, though he frowned slightly. "It seems a bit... erratic."

"Erratic?" Josie repeated, concerned. "Is that normal?"

"I'm afraid I don't have much expertise in this area, my dear."

Josie nodded and quickly googled it on her phone. According to the websites she found, given how early she was in the pregnancy, it was probably nothing. She doubted there was anything wrong- if the baby could heal her, surely it could heal itself.

o – o – o

When Elijah pulled up to the Gilbert House, it was a little after ten. Josie's heart sank when she saw the lights were on. She knew it was too much to hope for that everyone was out or gone to bed.

"If you didn't live with Klaus, I'd ask to spend the night on your couch," said Josie, biting her lip.

"They are your family. They deserve to know."

Josie nodded, opening the passenger side door.

"Thank you," she said. "For the ride, what you said."

Elijah nodded. "I meant every word, my dear. You are the most important person in our family now. I will protect you from everything. Even Niklaus, if that is what is required."

Josie frowned. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"I do not think it will," assured Elijah. "His affection for you has not waned. He went to great lengths to bring you back and suffered greatly in your absence. He is upset that you risked yourself." Elijah paused. "He is not alone in that feeling."

Josie nodded. "I know, I'm sorry. It won't happen again. No more rescue missions without Original back-up."

Elijah smiled. "That would be appreciated."

Josie gave Elijah a quick hug and wished him good night. He didn't drive away until she'd closed the front door behind her.

She tried to sneak up the stairs, but a loud cough behind her made her pause.

"Welcome back to Mystic Falls," said Alaric, his arm wrapped around Jenna, who had her arms crossed.

"Enjoy your field trip, Jo?" asked Jeremy, coming to stand beside Jenna and Alaric.

Elena followed and soon Josie had the feeling that she was facing a firing squad.

"I've had better," said Josie, rolling her eyes. "Look, I'm pretty tired, mind if I go to bed?"

"No. Explain. Now," said Jenna. "Where were you? What were you doing? And who were you with?"

Josie sighed and told them everything. Damon, Enzo, Augustine. She left out the part that Grayson Gilbert had played (she saw no reason to share that revelation and tarnish his memory, since he was already dead) and her pregnancy (she wasn't ready to open that can of worms), but told them everything else.

"I'm going to kill Damon," Alaric said heatedly, after Josie had finished her explanation.

"Get in line," added Jenna.

Josie frowned. "It's not Damon's fault. I volunteered. The Augustines... I don't think they'd hurt a human."

"Not even one helping a vampire escape?" challenged Jeremy, eyebrows raised.

Josie sighed. "I don't know. I'm sorry. I won't do it again, I promise."

And she meant it. In retrospect, she felt guilty about putting herself in danger, not only because of the baby, but because of how worried everyone seemed to be.

"Good," said Jenna, her tone softening. "Now the guilt trip is over."

Josie smiled. "Thanks."

She headed up the stairs and got into bed, but it was a long time before sleep came. For the first time since she'd found out she was pregnant, she was alone with her thoughts.

She had always thought she'd have kids someday. But it was like those vague thoughts one has about the future. And it was always when she was older. And married.

In fact, she had sworn if she were ever pregnant before she was ready, she would do the sensible thing and get an abortion, or possibly give the baby up for adoption. She couldn't imagine doing either of those things. She already felt fiercely protective of the baby and there was no way she would give her kid to anyone else.

No, she was going to be a mother. And Klaus was going to be a father. She kept replaying her conversation with Klaus, thinking about what Elijah had said.

She hoped they could work it out. She could admit she was disappointed with Klaus' reaction. She wasn't just some one-night-stand. He had eventually warmed to the idea of fatherhood, right? How long would she have to wait?

o – o – o

"A rescue mission?" exclaimed Elena, barreling into the Boarding House the next morning, not bothering to knock.

"Morning," Damon said lazily, sitting up from where he'd passed out the night before on the couch.

"You brought my sister to a house full of mad scientists, without back-up, to break out some old friend of yours from vampire prison?" continued Elena, voice shaking with anger. "How could you, Damon?"

"Someone's in trouble," smirked Enzo, sitting up from his spot on the other couch. "I think you should spank him."

"Stay out of this, Enzo," said Damon.

"Course he might enjoy that," said Enzo, smiling.

"Who are you?" frowned Elena.

Enzo sped to stand in front of Elena. "Enzo... Charmed, I'm sure."

He tried to take her hand to kiss it, but she pulled away.

"I guess you're the vampire my sister put her life on the line to rescue," Elena said with narrowed eyes.

"You're the sexy sidekick's sister?" asked Enzo, eyebrows raised. "I see being gorgeous runs in the family."

Elena just looked at him scathingly.

"I believe that's my exit," said Enzo, turning toward Damon. "Shall I take care of the guest of honor or would you prefer to?"

Elena's eyes widened when she realized Enzo was talking about the body of the young man lying dead on the other side of the room.

Damon cringed when Elena's eyes saw the body of Aaron Whitmore.

"It's a long story, Elena," said Damon, hastily.

"I'll just leave you to it," said Enzo, speeding out of the house and leaving Aaron Whitmore behind.

"What's going on?" asked Stefan, arriving in the living room just in time to see Enzo speeding out. "Hey, Elena. Who was that?"

Damon sighed. "That was Enzo."

Then he proceeded to tell Stefan all about Augustine, his escape, the price he paid and what he and Josie had done the night before.

"You still haven't told us who that is," said Elena, crossing her arms and looking at the body of Aaron Whitmore.

"That is the last of the Whitmores," said Damon. "The family that started it all."

"So you and this Enzo decided to just finish off the family line?" asked Elena.

Damon shrugged. "He wanted to celebrate."

Elena scoffed. "I can't believe you! I thought you'd changed."

Damon snarled. "Maybe you thought wrong."

Elena blinked, surprised by his answer. Though she knew this wasn't just about her scolding about killing Aaron. They hadn't really spoken for more than a week. Ever since Damon had drunkenly confronted Elena and Elijah at one of their morning training sessions and accused Elijah of dishonorable intentions.

"You're right," Elena sighed. "I've been wrong, this whole time. I thought if I chose between the two of you, I'd lose the other forever. But that's happening anyway, isn't it?"

Damon and Stefan didn't say anything.

Elena nodded. "I care about both of you. That's why I can't do this anymore."

Damon scoffed. "I knew it. I knew you had feelings for Elijah."

"This isn't about Elijah!" Elena said heatedly, then her tone softened, seeing the hurt look on both the Salvatores' faces. "I'm sorry." She sighed. "The choice between the two of you should have been easy and it wasn't. I just hope we can still be friends... eventually."

Elena cringed inwardly even as she said it, it was such a horrible cliché.

Stefan, for his part, just maintained his usual impassive face. "Sure, Elena."

Damon looked furious and before Stefan or Elena could say anything more, he zoomed out of the house, leaving the front door swinging in his wake.

Elena sighed, willing the tears to not fall.

"I should go," she said, blinking rapidly and turning towards the front door. "Have a good new year, Stefan."

"You too, Elena."

He smiled sadly at her as she exited the Boarding House.

o – o – o

It was noon and Klaus had been drinking since the night before. He sat in his studio, the curtains drawn, the lights off. Tomorrow a new year would start. Even though he had witnessed centuries of new years turn, this one seemed of special significance.

This time last year, he had been living in Seattle. Estranged from Elijah (who thought he had dumped all their siblings' bodies in the ocean), surrounded by a select few witches and vampires who meant very little to him, he had spent an inordinate amount of time drinking, painting and fucking/draining an assortment of anonymous women.

"I do not understand you, Niklaus," said Elijah, coming into the room and interrupting Klaus' contemplations.

"Am I really so mysterious, Elijah?" grumbled Klaus, downing the rest of his glass and pouring another.

Elijah shook his head. "You have the love of a beautiful woman who is carrying your miracle child, a pack of loyal hybrids you created in your own image, our family is reunited and our parents are dead and defeated."

Elijah walked further into the room and continued. "In the past year, you have gotten everything you've ever wanted for the past thousand years and yet, here you are, a miserable degenerate, drunk and alone in the dark."

Klaus growled, taking another drink. "She left me."

"Words said in anger," said Elijah, shaking his head. "She loves you, Niklaus. Despite everything that you have done, everything that you are. She sees, as I do, that you are worthy of redemption. And this child, this miracle- borne of your shared love and devotion, this is your chance to find true happiness."

"I was happy, Elijah," said Klaus, pouring himself another drink. "She was back. She decided to stay. With me."

"This is not a zero sum game, Niklaus," Elijah lightly scolded. "A child can only bring joy."

"And when it's used against me? Against her?" challenged Klaus. "A thousand years of being hunted, making enemies. I understand perfectly well what people will do to protect the ones they love. I have used that particular weakness quite often."

Elijah narrowed his eyes. "Love is not a weakness. Love, loyalty, family. It's power and strength. We defeated Mikael and Esther... together. We brought Josie back... together. Whatever threats the future brings, we will face them and we will win. Together."

Klaus didn't respond, just poured himself another drink. Elijah left after a minute, leaving Klaus alone with his miserable thoughts.

o – o – o

Josie slept until noon the next day. The second she awoke, she grabbed her phone, hoping for a text or a call from Klaus. Her heart sank when there was nothing.

Nothing except a few random texts from people and one, slightly strange one from Damon.

'Thanks for the heads up,' was all Damon's text said.

Heads up about what? She sent a text back, asking him what he was talking about before heading into the shower. After getting ready, she went downstairs to find Jeremy and Anna in the living room and Jenna making sandwiches for lunch in the kitchen.

"Hey," smiled Jenna. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah," said Josie. "Was just tired from all the excitement last night."

She check her phone for the hundredth time that morning.

"He didn't call, huh?" asked Jenna.

Josie sighed. "No."

Jenna frowned. "I'm sorry. You know how I feel about Klaus, but he's only upset because he cares about you. You could have been seriously hurt, Jo."

Josie nodded. "I know. And I'm sorry... Again."

Jenna smiled. "What are your plans for tonight? Ric and I are going to the New Year's Eve party at The Jefferson in Richmond!"

Josie giggled. "I know, Jenna. You might have mentioned it a few times. The fancy party, the fancy hotel suite." She paused. "I'll probably just go to Colin's. He usually has a big New Year's thing."

"Don't drink too much," said Jenna. "And definitely don't drive if you're going to drink."

Josie blinked, realizing she was going to have to abstain from now on. She sighed. She really should tell her family about the baby, but they would freak out and she wasn't ready for that yet. She was still adjusting to the news herself. Part of her was still in shock.

Her phone beeped and her heart leapt, only to see it was Damon texting her back.

'Elena,' was all his text said.

"It's just Damon," said Josie, shaking her head.

Jenna frowned at Damon's name and moved into the living room to deliver the sandwiches to Anna and Jeremy.

Josie called Damon, but he didn't answer. She sighed and grabbed her keys to head to the Boarding House. She was sure Elena was fine, but did want to check on Damon and Enzo. She felt bad for ditching them last night at Whitmore.

o – o – o

Wanting to be polite, Josie rang the doorbell to the Boarding House. She didn't have to wait long before Damon answered the door.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Josie frowned. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm peachy," said Damon, taking a drink from the glass in his hand.

"Then why aren't you answering your phone?"

"I'm busy."

"Doing what?" asked Josie, peering into the house.

"We're deciding where to ring in the new year," said Enzo, suddenly appearing behind Damon. "Any recommendations?"

Josie shrugged.

"What, Klaus isn't throwing some ridiculous, over-the-top soiree?" sneered Damon.

"I don't know what Klaus is doing for New Years," said Josie, testily.

"Trouble in paradise, love?" asked Enzo, eyebrow raised.

Josie frowned. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Fair enough," said Enzo, smirking. "So, New Year's Eve celebrations?"

He looked from Damon to Josie.

Josie shrugged. "There's a thing at the Grill."

Damon shrugged, as if to say 'whatever'.

"Aren't you two a couple of lonely hearts," said Enzo, rolling his eyes. "We can do better than some small town gathering."

He deftly took Damon's keys from his pocket and sped to the car in the driveway.

"Oh, don't make me spend New Year's alone," said Enzo, frowning as he leaned against Damon's car.

Damon sighed as he trudged towards the car.

"Well," Damon said, turning back to where Josie was still standing on the front porch. "Aren't you coming?"

Josie hesitated for a split second before bounding down the driveway and sliding into the back seat of Damon's car. She should be perfectly safe. Enzo and Damon wouldn't hurt her. They were no doubt going to a very public party. Being pregnant didn't mean she shouldn't get to go out and do things anymore.

She just wanted one night to forestall the evitable. One night before it became public knowledge that she was pregnant with Klaus' child. Tonight, she just wanted to have fun and live her life.

o – o – o

"Hey Jenna," said Josie when Jenna answered her phone.

"Josie, what's up? We're just arriving at the hotel in Richmond."

"That's great," said Josie. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm going out of town for New Year's too."

"What?" exclaimed Jenna. "Out of town?"

"Yeah," sighed Josie. "With Klaus and everything... I just wanted to get away for a night. I'm with Damon..."

"Josie!"

"I know, I know," said Josie. "But we're just going to a New Year's party. Very public, lots of people. No different than what you're doing."

There was a moment of silence before Jenna answered.

Jenna sighed. "You tell him that if he doesn't deliver you back in one piece I have a stake with his name on it."

"I will," smiled Josie.

She was glad Jenna wasn't putting up too much of a fight. It wasn't surprising. Jenna had let her go to Belize with Klaus after all and she hadn't said anything when Josie went to Nova Scotia to go after the cure. Before they found out it was a dangerous rescue mission, the only reason everyone had been upset about last night was because Josie hadn't told anyone she was leaving town.

"So where are you going?" asked Jenna. "You're not coming to Richmond, are you?"

"No," answered Josie. "We're going to visit Lexi. In New York City."

 **A/N: Let me know what you thought of Klaus' reaction. Not ideal, but I thought it was realistic, considering the circumstances and his character development at the moment. He's worried about Josie's safety, not some theoretical baby. Especially when it didn't stop her from doing something reckless and stupid.**

 **He will warm to the idea of having a child, just as he did in canon, but right now he just sees the danger, not the benefits of being a dad. I used some lines from the first episode of the Originals, when Klaus and Elijah find out about Hayley's pregnancy.**


	71. New Year's Eve

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter!**

 **I definitely agree that Josie was being reckless when she went to Augustine (and not just because she was pregnant). Klaus' reaction was a bit extreme, but it's understandable- she needs to be more careful and think before she acts, especially now as she's responsible for more than just herself.**

 **I don't think going to NYC is that reckless (she knows Damon and Lexi will look out for her), but, in general, Klaus has done such a good job of protecting her, he's kind of a victim of his own success- she doesn't take the danger of being an Oracle and his significant other seriously enough.**

 **FYI- Elijah's flashback scene (in italics) is from Chapter 38- The Reckoning Part One.**

 **Anyway, to New York!**

"Oreos?" asked Josie.

"You mean the chocolate cookie with the white cream in the middle?" asked Enzo from the front seat of Damon's car.

"Yeah," nodded Josie.

"Had 'em," said Enzo.

"Really?" said Josie, surprised. "I didn't know Oreos were that old."

For the past half hour, Josie had been listing things off that Enzo had to try now that he was free. It seemed he was vaguely aware of modern technology (the internet, cell phones, etc), but had missed out on most of pop culture.

"I was taken in 1943, just after my tour of duty ended in the army," said Enzo. "I remember them selling Oreos in every drug store by then."

"Bet they didn't have double stuf!" exclaimed Josie, smiling. "Now I want Oreos... When are we stopping?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "We just left two hours ago. It's seven hours to New York City, so you have five more to go."

"I can't wait another five hours to pee!" said Josie. "And we need to get something to eat."

Damon sighed. "Humans."

Josie frowned. "We'll still have plenty of time. We should be there by nine or so."

"Only three hours to find this bloke some drunk bird to kiss at midnight," said Enzo, pointing at Damon.

"Well that is a problem," Josie sighed dramatically. "Damon needs at least twice that. I mean look at him," she laughed.

"Haha," Damon fake laughed, annoyed Enzo and Josie were joking at his expense. "Like you don't want to hit this again."

"Again?" asked Enzo, looking surprised.

"Ancient history," said Josie, rolling her eyes.

"A year ago," corrected Damon, smirking. "I was her first vampire."

Josie chuckled. "How is that relevant?"

"Obvious he made an impact," observed Enzo. "Given your current choice of bed partners."

Josie rolled her eyes. "Or maybe he taught me what I don't like."

"I heard I'm actually more your type," said Enzo. "Charming accent, dodgy morals..."

Josie scoffed. "Klaus would kill you."

"You'll find there's very little that scares me," smirked Enzo.

Josie laughed. She was glad she had come. It was just what she needed. A little fun away from the seriousness and drama of Klaus, Mystic Falls and her pregnancy.

"I'll tell you what," she said. "As long as you promise not to kill anyone tonight, I'll gladly be your wingwoman."

"Wingwoman?" Enzo repeated.

"Yep," confirmed Josie. "Believe me, a wingwoman is much better than a wingman."

Damon nodded. "It's true. Women trust other women."

"I don't understand," frowned Enzo.

Josie smiled and sat back. "You'll see, Romeo."

o – o – o

It was mid-afternoon when Elijah rang the doorbell to the Gilbert House. He had been by earlier that day, but Josie had been sleeping and Elena was out, so he hadn't bothered to make his presence known. Now, Elena was alone in the house.

"Elijah, hey," said Elena. "Come in. Is everything okay?"

"Fine," nodded Elijah, walking into the house. "I just wanted to drop this off for Josie."

He handed Elena a paper bag from the local bookstore.

"And invite your family to dinner at our house. Perhaps next week?"

"Dinner?" echoed Elena.

"Yes. I thought it prudent, given the circumstances."

"What circumstances?" asked Elena, clearly confused.

Elijah's face remained impassive, but inside he was surprised. Clearly Josie hadn't told her family about the pregnancy, even though he had impressed upon her the night before that they deserved to know and she seemed to agree with him.

"Where is Josie?" asked Elijah.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Out of town. She and Klaus had a fight, so she decided to go with Damon and Enzo to New York City for New Year's."

Elijah's mood instantly turned to worry.

"I know," said Elena, looking at Elijah's frown. "But Jenna said she could go. Damon's a jerk, but he won't let anything happen to her."

"She is in more danger than she realizes," said Elijah, turning on his heel and heading out the door.

Elena frowned and grabbed her coat, following after him.

"What do you mean?" asked Elena.

"She no longer has the protection of Nefertiti's necklace, nor the Trouver necklace," said Elijah, referring to the two necklaces Klaus had given to Josie.

"Elijah, wait, please," said Elena, grabbing his arm just as they reached the sidewalk. "Why do you think she's in danger?"

Elijah paused and looked at Elena.

"Since it has been known that she is the Oracle, there have been at least a dozen individuals and groups who have tried to acquire her services. Some benevolently... some not."

Elena looked shocked. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I was not aware of the extent of it until she left," said Elijah, getting into his car. "Niklaus simply wished to protect her."

Elena scoffed. "I'm so sick of vampires thinking they know best for us."

She climbed into the passenger side of the car.

"I'm coming with you," said Elena. "She's my sister."

Elijah sighed. "Please buckle your seatbelt."

"At least we can deliver this to Josie in person, right?" said Elena, holding up the bag that Elijah had given her. She'd had the bag in her hand when she left the house and hadn't put it down. "What's the occasion? Belated Christmas gift?"

Before Elijah could say anything, Elena had peered into the bookstore bag.

"Okay," said Elena, pulling out 'What to Expect When You're Expecting' and frowning. "Please tell me this is for a friend."

o – o – o

"Lexi!" squealed Josie, enveloping her in a massive bear hug.

Josie, Damon and Enzo had just arrived in New York City. After parking the car, they had gone to the address Lexi had texted- a small bar in Manhattan.

"Hey, Josie," smiled Lexi, squeezing Josie back. "I see you brought company."

Lexi raised her eyebrows at Damon and Enzo.

"And you brought some of your own?"

Josie looked behind Lexi to see a dark-haired man standing next to Katherine.

"That's Lee," said Lexi. "My boyfriend."

Before Josie could respond, Katherine walked up to her.

"Hey, Josie," said Katherine. "Didn't think Klaus let you out to play anymore? After you ran away from him in Canada?"

Josie just laughed and rolled her eyes. "Klaus doesn't own me."

"Preach, sister," said Damon, coming to stand next to Josie. "What an unpleasant surprise, Katherine."

Katherine put on a pouty face. "Don't pretend you're mad I'm here, Damon. I heard your little copycat girlfriend broke up with you."

Josie had to hold in a laugh at Damon's frown. From the look on Lexi's face, it was clear she was the one who spilled the beans. No doubt Lexi had heard from Stefan.

"Good news travels fast," said Damon, sarcastically.

"Whatever," said Katherine, taking a sip of her drink. "Now, who's this?"

She looked behind Damon and Josie, where Enzo was standing at the bar, ordering a drink.

"Enzo," said Damon. "Come meet the evil version of Elena."

Katherine smirked. "Elena's actually the mind-numbing version of me."

Enzo blatantly looked Katherine up and down, clearly admiring her figure that, unlike Elena, was clad in skintight, revealing clothes.

"This is Katherine," smiled Josie. "And she's not evil."

"Oh I don't mind evil," smirked Enzo.

Katherine raised an eyebrow, clearly not sure about Enzo and his charm.

"Enzo just got out of vampire prison," said Josie. "He's an old friend of Damon's. Kind of a rival, really. Katherine is Damon's ex-girlfriend. And his sire."

Damon looked annoyed as Josie was making her introductions, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by either Enzo or Katherine.

"Well, in that case," smirked Katherine. "Why don't you buy me a drink, Enzo?"

"Drink for the pretty lady!" smiled Enzo, calling for the bartender.

"Since when do you hang out with Katherine?" asked Josie, when she, Damon, Lexi and Lee were all sitting at a table.

Lexi looked over to where Katherine and Enzo were still talking by the bar.

"She just showed up," shrugged Lexi. "Said it had been decades since she'd seen the ball drop." Lexi paused. "I think maybe she didn't have anywhere else to go."

Damon snorted. "Who'd want to spend New Year's with Katherine?"

"Damon!" scolded Josie.

"Don't be a jerk!" added Lexi, shaking her head.

Damon just rolled his eyes and finished his drink in one toss.

"Refill anyone?" he asked.

Everyone shook their head.

"You're seriously not drinking?" Damon asked Josie.

Josie shook her head. "Maybe later," she lied. "I'm human, don't forget. Midnight isn't for another three hours."

"Leave her be, Damon," said Lexi. "Besides, we should head to the party."

Lexi had a friend that was hosting a private party just off Times Square, so they could go outside to see the ball drop.

o – o – o

"Elena, would you like..." Elijah trailed off, seeing Elena had fallen asleep in the passenger seat.

He smiled, letting his gaze fall over her features before returning his eyes to the road. He remembered the first time he'd seen Elena Gilbert, in that dusty old mansion where Rose and Trevor had her captive.

She had been so scared, and yet, still had the courage to try and use the moonstone to negotiate her safety. Of course, once he compelled the location from her, she had begged him not to go after Josie, who had the moonstone. Elena had been quite clear that she would willingly sacrifice herself to keep her loved ones safe.

In all the time that had since passed, Elijah still admired that about Elena. About both of the Gilbert sisters. Both Josie and Elena possessed loyalty in spades and had proven it time and again.

Elijah smiled when he remembered the first time he had met Josie. He had been almost amused when he'd found her letter in his pocket, apologizing for her friend's behavior in staking him to rescue Elena and offering her help in retrieving the moonstone. When he'd later called and they'd made plans to meet, he had to admit he was intrigued.

He'd been surprised to discover she was actually Elena's younger sister. That hadn't stopped her from looking into his eyes, knowing exactly who and what he was, and unblinkingly convince him that they needed to work together. He had been charmed by her tenacity, her loyalty to her family and her unwavering determination to defeat his brother.

Over the next month, they had worked together closely. Texting constantly for updates, meeting in secret to discuss plans. He could admit he had grown very fond of her during that time. So much so that when Niklaus had come to Mystic Falls to claim his doppelganger, Elijah had been unable to leave Josie unprotected the night of the Decade Dance and had violently intervened on her behalf.

Even Niklaus had seen the clear affection Elijah held for Josie. If he suspected it went beyond friendship, Elijah was unsure. He was unsure himself what he had felt back then, so determined to see Niklaus pay for his crimes and keep Josie and her family safe.

Elijah had been shocked when he had been undaggered a few months later, only to find Niklaus had come to feel the same as Elijah had- a deep affection for Josie. Though of course it hadn't seemed that way at first...

 _Senior Prank Night, Somewhere between Chicago and Mystic Falls_

 _Elijah awoke from the coffin as he usually did after being daggered- gasping for air and extremely disoriented. He blinked into the darkness before pushing on the roof of the coffin. Looking around, he realized he was in the back of a truck._

 _He found his dagger lying inside the coffin. He picked it up, curiously as to who had removed it. Whenever Niklaus had undaggered him, he had always been standing right there, waiting for his older brother to awaken._

 _Clearly, whoever had removed the dagger had done so without Niklaus' permission. Perhaps a stolen moment when he wasn't looking. Could it have been Josie? Or perhaps one of the other members of the Mystic Falls group?_

 _He didn't hold out much hope that Josie was alive. Niklaus had no doubt killed her soon after Elijah had been daggered. The only way she had survived was if Niklaus had discovered what she was, but even then her fate would not be much better, no doubt._

 _Elijah was distracted from his thoughts when the truck began to slow down and then came to a stop. Elijah quickly opened the back of the truck and sped to the front. Elijah compelled the man to be quiet while he took a few sips of blood. When he felt slightly better and his skin return to its normal pallor, Elijah stepped back._

" _Where are you going?" Elijah compelled the driver._

" _Mystic Falls."_

" _Interesting."_

 _Then he compelled the man to forget he had seen Elijah and left him. Elijah had compelled himself a ride to a local hospital, where he had his fill of blood, before procuring a car and heading to Mystic Falls. When he finally found Niklaus at the high school, he was shocked at the scene he walked in on._

 _Niklaus was hovering over Josie, who was struggling to get away from him. His mouth was bloody and Josie had a vicious bite mark on her arm. Elijah had feared Niklaus would hold her captive for her visions, but he didn't think he'd use Josie as his personal blood bag. Elijah felt enraged at the sight before him._

" _How dare you," he said in a dangerous voice._

 _Niklaus' eyes were wide when he saw Elijah standing there._

" _Brother," said Niklaus, voice barely above a whisper._

 _Elijah had been right. Niklaus had clearly not removed the dagger. Seeing Josie's small smile, without any sign of shock, it was clear she had removed the dagger._

 _Elijah's eyes slid back to Niklaus and he felt that same anger roll through him. He sped over to Niklaus and ripped his arm away from where he'd been gripping Josie._

 _Elijah's momentum took him and Niklaus through the window of the classroom and out onto the lawn. Elijah took Niklaus by the shoulders and threw him into a nearby tree. Niklaus growled and sped back to where Elijah was, grabbing a fallen branch on the way and hitting Elijah in the stomach with it._

 _When Niklaus reeled back to hit Elijah with the branch again, Elijah caught it and ripped it away, using it instead to smack Niklaus across the face with it, sending him flying across the lawn. Elijah didn't waste anytime and sped over to where Niklaus was laying, picked him up by the shoulders and tossing him again, this time around the corner of the school._

" _Elijah!" shouted Niklaus, this time not attacking, just speeding away when Elijah lunged for him. "I'm curious what it is you have to be upset about? If I recall, it was you who betrayed my trust this time, Brother. Trying to desiccate me after I'd returned our family..."_

 _Elijah just raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps I thought it time you experience the effects of the dagger for yourself."_

 _Niklaus narrowed his eyes. "More likely a certain Oracle convinced you to act against me. I've found she can be very persuasive."_

 _Elijah hid his surprise at his brother's knowledge of Josie's true identity._

" _What have you done with her?" asked Elijah._

" _She's mine now," smirked Niklaus._

 _Elijah moved to strike Niklaus again, only to have him speed out of the way._

" _There's no need for such violence," said Niklaus, shaking his head. "Naturally I require her unique abilities to aid me, but rest assured, I've not touched her. Quite the opposite in fact- I've kept her safe."_

" _You truly expect me to believe such nonsense?"_

 _Niklaus growled. "I was trying to heal her from Stefan's bite. I wouldn't hurt her."_

 _Elijah was surprised. Not only by his brother's words, but by the underlying softness with which he spoke about Josie. Elijah had not heard Niklaus speak about anyone like that in a long time. Moreover, Elijah believed him._

" _And now?" pressed Elijah. "It's clear she is the one who undaggered me. Is she still safe from your rage?"_

 _Niklaus clenched his jaw, clearly trying to control his anger._

" _I will not let you harm her," warned Elijah._

 _Niklaus growled. "I won't hurt her. But make no mistake, Elijah. She is still mine. As is Elena."_

 _Elijah frowned. "Elena?"_

" _Seems her blood is the key to making hybrids."_

 _Elijah was about to reply when he heard Josie scream for help. He took off without a glance back at Niklaus, hoping it wasn't too late._

A horn blaring to the right of him brought Elijah back to the present. He reflected on how much had changed since that night. They had defeated both of their parents, Niklaus had built himself a hybrid pack, crowned himself the unofficial King of Mystic Falls, and had claimed Josie as his queen.

And now she had fallen pregnant and Niklaus refused to accept this blessing. Elijah had tried to call Niklaus as he and Elena were leaving Mystic Falls, but he had not answered.

Elijah smiled when he saw the 'Welcome to New York' sign. They would find Josie soon and he would ensure her safety, just as he always had, even if Niklaus would not.

o – o – o

"He just ignored you?" asked Josie sadly.

"I am afraid so," sighed Elijah, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I just don't understand him, Elijah," said Josie, tears threatening. "Why can't he be happy about this?"

Elijah sighed again, pulling her into his arms, but not saying anything.

"What am I going to do?" asked Josie, wrapping her arms around him. "The baby needs a father."

Elijah pulled back, looking into her eyes.

"I told you before," he said, cupping her face. "I will always protect you."

Josie smiled. "I know. I thought I wanted someone like Klaus, but I don't know if that's what's best for me. For us."

"Niklaus doesn't know how lucky he is," said Elijah disapprovingly. "Any man would be lucky to be the father of your child."

Josie snaked her arms around Elijah's neck. "Any man?"

Elijah nodded, his head lowering seemingly of its own accord.

"Yes, my dear," he breathed, his lips an inch from hers.

"I wish it were yours, Elijah," she whispered, quickly closing the gap between them.

Elijah deepened the kiss, pulling Josie completely flush against him. His hands cupped her rear and lifted her, encouraging her to wrap her legs around him and press herself against him intimately.

Klaus sat up, suddenly awake. He blinked into the darkness of his room, trying to get the horrible images of Josie and Elijah kissing out of his brain.

"Awful, isn't it?" came a voice from just beyond his bed.

A light clicked on and Rebekah sat there.

"How much did you have to drink?" she inquired, smirking. "It's embarrassing, how easy it was to get inside your head."

Klaus growled. "Is there a point to this mental torture?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "The point is to save you from your own stupidity. You're here, while Elijah is out playing White Knight with your girl."

At her words, Klaus was instantly alert. "Is something wrong? Is she in danger?"

"Now you care?" asked Rebekah. "She left hours ago."

Klaus frowned. "What?" He shot out of bed. "Where did she go?"

Rebekah looked confused. "You didn't see Elijah's call? How long have you been sleeping?"

Klaus glanced at the clock. It was after nine, he'd been asleep for several hours.

"Where did she go, Rebekah?"

"She went to New York to celebrate New Year's. With Damon and that vampire they rescued last night, Enzo."

Klaus growled angrily. "Damon..."

"Elijah went after her," said Rebekah quickly. "He took Elena with him."

"So she is safe."

"Safe, yes," frowned Rebekah. "Is that all that's important?"

Klaus didn't say anything.

"Elijah was right," said Rebekah, shaking her head with disgust. "You are a coward. You have everything you want, right in front of you. You need only take it."

Rebekah took a step towards him.

"All your life, you were afraid. Afraid to be happy, lest our father rip it away. Now he's gone. Will you let him haunt you forever? Haunt us forever?"

She tossed a set of keys onto the bed.

"Mason already called the airfield. The jet's waiting, if you want..."

Then Rebekah left the room, leaving Klaus alone.

o – o – o

"So, which one?" asked Josie, eyeing two groups of girls. "The ones dressed like strippers, or the ones dressed like high-end prostitutes?"

She was sitting with Enzo and Damon near the bar at the party, doing her best to fulfill her wingwoman duties. She took a sip of her club soda, reflecting how much easier it would have been with a few drinks in her.

"I prefer classy women myself," said Enzo.

Damon nodded. "That red-head is pretty cute."

The red head was in the 'high-end prostitutes' group.

"Okay," said Josie. "Join me in a minute."

She took a deep breath and walked up to the group of girls.

"Oh my god," she said to the red head. "Is that a Fendi?" She looked at the girl's purse. "It's gorgeous."

The red head tossed her hair and smirked. "Beautiful, isn't it? I asked my ex-boyfriend for a Prada, but he said they were on back-order."

Josie frowned, feigning sympathy. "That's too bad. I'll have to introduce you to my friend, Damon. He works for Sak's as an Executive Buyer. He always hooks me up."

Josie was glad she'd brought the Dior purse Klaus had bought her in Paris.

"Is your friend Damon here?" asked the red head, looking around.

"Right here," said Damon, suddenly appearing next to Josie. Enzo soon followed.

"And this is Enzo," said Josie. "He's a professional soccer player, from England."

Enzo looked at Josie curiously.

"Chicks dig athletes and accents," she said, under her breath.

"I play for Manchester United," said Enzo, sidling up between two of the girls.

Josie just smiled and talked for a few minutes before excusing herself.

"An executive buyer and a soccer player?" asked Lexi when Josie sat down next to her, Katherine and Lee.

Josie shrugged. "It worked."

"What, they can't tell them the truth," said Josie at Lexi's disapproving look. "Believe me, those girls are no less fake. That red haired girl actually told us she was a philosophy major and when I asked her who her favorite philosopher was, she said Neetskee."

"Who's Neetskee?" asked Lee.

Josie laughed. "I think she meant Nietzsche."

Lexi had a hard time maintaining a straight face at that. Lee laughed out loud, while Katherine just rolled her eyes.

"Are you expecting someone?" Josie asked Lexi. "You keep looking at the door."

Before Lexi could open her mouth, Katherine cut in.

"Really Lexi?" asked Katherine, exasperated.

Josie turned around to see Elena walk into the bar. Before she could adjust to this, Elijah walked in right after. Clearly Elena had called Lexi to find out where they all were in New York.

"Lexi?" questioned Josie.

"What are they doing here?" asked Damon, suddenly standing beside the table.

Lexi looked from Damon to Josie.

"You didn't tell him," Lexi asked Josie.

Damon looked at Josie. "Tell me what?"

Josie sighed. This is not how tonight was supposed to go.

"I'm pregnant," said Josie, heatedly. "I'm not sick or disabled. I'm perfectly capable of having fun at a New Year's Eve party with my friends; my strong, vampire friends, without people thinking I'm being irresponsible."

"You're pregnant?" Damon echoed.

"Whose is it?" asked Katherine.

"My brother's," said Elijah, striding up to the group.

Damon's eyebrows shot up. "Klaus knocked you up?"

"Yes," answered Josie. "It's a special loophole, because he's a hybrid." She turned to the newcomers. "Hey Elijah. Elena. Please don't take this the wrong way, but why are you here?"

"To ensure your safety, of course," said Elijah.

"She's perfectly safe with me," challenged Damon.

Elena stepped in before Josie could even get up.

"Why don't you get us drinks, Elijah?" asked Elena. "Anyone need a refill?"

"I could use one," said Lexi, trying to smile through the tension.

"Great," said Elena, slightly nudging Elijah in the direction of the bar. She turned to Josie. "Can I talk to you?"

Josie sighed and followed Elena to the far side of the bar, where it was quieter.

"I'm sorry, Elena," said Josie, before her sister could say anything. "I should have told you."

Elena sighed. "I'm not mad, Jo. I get it... I found out a few hours ago and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it."

"I know."

"You're having a baby."

"I know."

"With Klaus... A dead vampire."

"I know," Josie repeated. "You can say it a hundred times, it still won't make any sense."

Elena smiled at that. "How are you feeling? You haven't been drinking?"

Josie scoffed. "Of course not. And I feel fine."

"No morning sickness? Heartburn? Fatigue?"

Josie frowned. "No... What are you, a pregnancy expert?"

Elena shrugged. "Elijah got you a pregnancy book and I was bored on the trip up here."

"Well, I guess I don't need to read it then," smirked Josie. "I can just ask you."

"Sure," said Elena. "Let's talk about how your breasts are going to change."

Josie's eyes widened. "On second thought, I'll just read it myself."

Elena smiled. "Good."

"Can we just enjoy ourselves tonight?" asked Josie. "Contemplate life changes tomorrow?"

Elena smiled and she looked at Josie with warmth.

"Sure," said Elena, taking Josie's arm. "Tomorrow is a new year, after all."

Elena went to the bar to join Elijah (Katherine was already there), while Josie went back to the table to sit with Lexi and Lee.

"How was your talk with big sister?" asked Lexi.

"Would have been better tomorrow," said Josie, tilting her head pointedly at Lexi.

"What was I supposed to do?" asked Lexi. "Sorry, Josie, but no way I'm risking the Originals' wrath. The last time I crossed swords with them I had my switch flipped and then I ate my way through the Appalachians until Lee found me."

Josie bit her lip, remembering when Klaus had flipped Lexi's switch because she had come to rescue Josie and Stefan from Klaus.

"Fair enough," said Josie. "Let's just talk about something else... Only an hour until the ball drops!"

o – o – o

"Is that Elijah in the middle of a doppelganger sandwich?" asked Damon, sitting down next to Josie.

Josie glanced over to where Elena, Elijah and Katherine were standing at the bar. Katherine was outrageously flirting with Elijah while Elena shot daggers at her. Elijah, for his part, was trying to be polite to both of them.

Josie frowned. "I guess. You're taking it rather well. I'm sorry- I know the whole point of this trip was to get away from Mystic Falls' drama."

Damon shrugged. "I think I realized Elena and I weren't going to happen a long time ago."

"She did like you," offered Josie.

Damon smiled. "I know. And I liked who I was with her. I liked being the guy who helped her during the summer. Searching for you and Stefan..."

Josie smiled back. "But you also like the guy who hits on red heads and drinks fresh blood, right?"

"And therein lies the problem," said Damon, sipping his drink.

Josie just nodded, not really knowing what to say.

"So why didn't you tell me?" asked Damon.

"Because I didn't want tonight to be about this."

She gestured in the direction of her stomach.

"I get that this is a huge deal," she continued. "It's going to change my life forever. And not just mine. I guess I wanted one night where everyone in my life didn't look at me differently."

She closed her eyes, feeling the tears well up. Was this the hormones or just the first time she'd talked about how she was feeling about becoming a mother?

Strong arms wrapped around her and Josie leaned into Damon, appreciating his presence. The fierceness with which he'd told Elijah that he would protect Josie had made her smile.

"Let's dance," said Damon.

"What about your red head?"

Damon shrugged. "Enzo's keeping her warm for me."

Josie laughed and let Damon lead her out onto the dance floor. They danced together for several songs, all under the watchful eye of Elijah, who was still trying to balance Elena and Katherine.

Lexi came to them after a while and said everyone was going outside to watch the ball drop.

Elijah was suddenly beside her and Josie pushed Damon in the direction of his red head, wanting him to have a midnight kiss (or more, really) if he chose.

Josie looked up and saw the ball was beginning to drop. She had seen this moment on television and was thrilled to be here in person. The countdown was at 50 seconds when Elena nudged her.

Josie looked at Elena. "What?"

Elena tilted her head to the left and Josie followed her gaze. There, standing in the middle of the crowd about ten feet away, was Klaus.

Josie's feet seemed to walk toward him of their own volition.

"Hey," she said when she was standing in front of him. "Welcome to New York."

"Am I?" he inquired. "Welcome?"

"Depends," she answered. "Is this," she gestured to her stomach, "still a disaster?"

Klaus sighed. "I won't lie to you. I worry for its safety. For all our safety. I have more enemies than perhaps even you know."

Josie didn't doubt it.

"But I love you," continued Klaus. "And if I am to have a child, there's no other woman on earth I'd rather have it with."

Josie smiled brightly. "I love you too. And I'm sorry for what I did. Going to Augustine was stupid and reckless and I promise I'll be more careful in the future."

"That would be much appreciated," said Klaus. Then he smiled devilishly. "Of course, Mason's already working on a 24/7 protection detail, so I suppose I have no cause for concern."

"You told the pack?" exclaimed Josie.

"Elijah informed Rebekah."

"And of course Rebekah told Mason," grumbled Josie.

She pulled out her phone, which had been on silent, except for phone calls (in case of emergency) and was alarmed by the amount of text messages she had from the pack, congratulating her and Klaus.

"Wow," Josie breathed.

"My phone's in a similar state," said Klaus, smiling.

It was clear he was happy about the pack's enthusiastic reaction. No doubt, they would take the concept of a 'miracle baby' to heart. Klaus was the Alpha after all and even though Josie wasn't a wolf, she remembered how protective the pack was of her when she'd previously been in jeopardy. She could only imagine what would happen when they got back to Mystic Falls.

"Not that I'm not glad you're here," Josie said. "But you came all the way to New York to tell me you're okay with me being pregnant? You know Elijah would never let anything happen to me."

10...9...8

The final countdown had begun.

"There's an old saying," said Klaus. "Superstition perhaps."

...7

Josie raised her eyebrows. "Oh?"

...6

"That how you start the new year reflects how you will finish it."

...5

"So you drove-"

...4

"Flew, love."

...3

"You flew 500 miles to..."

...2

"Do this, yes," confirmed Klaus.

...1

And then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. A kiss full of love, devotion and loyalty, and most importantly, the promise of tomorrow.

 **A/N: Did I have anyone actually going with that Josie/Elijah scene or was it super obviously fake? I started playing around with an idea for an Elijah/OC fic that starts in Season 1 TO because I don't see Josie/Elijah happening in this story and it made me kinda sad.**

 **Also, I added the Elijah POV flashback/reflection scene per a few reviewers request- let me know what you thought and if you'd be interested in similar ones from other characters (Klaus, Damon, etc)**


	72. Lost in New York

**A/N: Thanks for the comments on last chapter!**

 **For the Elijah/OC story, I'm kicking around a few ideas, but thinking maybe this OC would be from in-world, but a witch?**

 **The Klaus flashback isn't from a specific chapter, just the summer months.**

 **Anyway, this chapter slowly leads back into the action (of the non-relationship/baby variety)...**

Everyone around them was cheering, welcoming the new year. But Klaus and Josie were too wrapped up in each other to notice much. They must have been kissing for a while because there was an embarrassed cough and then, a throat clearing.

Josie pulled away from Klaus to see Lexi, Lee, Katherine, Elijah and Elena standing there. Damon and Enzo were nowhere to be found.

"So, Klaus is here," said Josie, awkwardly.

Lexi laughed. "We can see that."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Josie has her hybrid bodyguard back, Elijah. Now will you dance with me?"

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "As I informed you before, Katerina, I find the music of dance clubs to be distasteful at best."

"Offensive at worst," smiled Josie, shaking her head at Elijah's reserve.

"Niklaus, if you intend to stay by her side, I think I will retire for the evening," said Elijah.

"I rented a room at The Four Seasons," smiled Katherine, flirtatiously. "If you need a place to stay."

"I do keep an apartment here," answered Elijah. He turned to Elena. "You're more than welcome to stay if you would like, as I suspect you do not have a room rented."

Elena looked at Josie.

"I'm fine," said Josie, arms still wrapped around Klaus. "If you want to go, you should go."

Elena smiled and nodded her head. "I am a little tired."

Katherine looked annoyed as Elijah and Elena walked off together.

"Come on, Kat," said Lexi, nudging Katherine. "Party's just getting started."

Lexi, Katherine and Lee started to walk back towards the party.

"The party is just getting started," smiled Josie, trying to tug Klaus in the direction of the party.

"Hmm..." he murmured, bending down to nuzzle her neck. "As you know, I too keep an apartment here."

Josie bit her lip and suppressed a moan. It was clear he wanted to take her to bed. Or maybe a church confessional, she thought wryly. It was always like this after they'd had a fight or a disagreement.

Josie wondered if it was a wolf thing. Like he wanted to reseal their bond or something by physically claiming her. More often than not, he would bite her.

"We'll only stay for a little longer," offered Josie, trying to placate his wolf. "Then you can take me wherever you want."

Klaus growled and gripped her tighter. "I'll hold you to that promise, love."

Josie just smiled and grabbed his hand, leading him back to the party.

o – o – o

"Everything okay?" asked Damon, coming to stand next to Josie, who was in line for the ladies room.

"Fine," smiled Josie. "Better than fine, actually."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Glad to see your baby daddy decided to man up."

Josie smiled slightly. "He has a name, you know."

Damon had a sour look on his face.

Josie just laughed. "Sorry Damon, but if it wasn't obvious before... Klaus isn't going anywhere."

Damon narrowed his eyes, but grabbed Josie's shoulders. When he spoke it was in a serious tone.

"You don't have to be with him just because you're having his kid. Just say the word..." he trailed off.

Josie smiled at his sincerity and his willingness to help and protect her, despite all they'd been through.

"I love him, Damon," she said. "But... thanks. I appreciate it, especially since... you know."

Josie didn't want to mention Elena's name, given how recently Elena had removed herself from the Salvatore love triangle.

Damon scoffed. "Already over it."

Josie looked skeptical.

"Besides," Damon smirked. "You and I go way back."

Josie smiled. "Your pre-in-love-with-Elena days? Back when you were in love with Katherine."

Damon frowned. "I need a new hobby."

Josie laughed at that.

"Go find your red head," said Josie, nudging him. "She looks nothing like a doppelganger."

o – o – o

"Remember this place?" asked Klaus, when he and Josie stepped through the front door of his New York apartment an hour later.

Josie nodded. "I remember... I remember you kicked me out of the living room because you had your war machine running."

Klaus just raised an eyebrow. "I didn't hear you object when my 'war machine' saved your life after Greta and the Morai coven kidnapped you in Italy."

"You also refused to let me go anywhere without bodyguards."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "As I've told you on numerous occasions, I will not apologize for keeping you safe."

"Safe from what?" asked Josie, shaking her head. "I agree, Augustine was stupid, but I came to New York City with Damon... to meet up with Lexi. Elijah didn't have to come all this way..."

"Yes, he did," Klaus cut in, speeding to stand in front of her. "It's not safe for you to go wandering about without our protection..."

Josie rolled her eyes. "Nobody knows I'm pregnant."

"This isn't about the baby!" Klaus exclaimed. "You are an Oracle! Nefertiti's necklace protected you from a variety of enemies. It's very presence, as well as mine, dispelled would-be kidnappers."

"Kidnappers?"

Klaus sighed and looked her in the eyes. "Yes, my love. Since your... status became common knowledge, there have been a number of parties interested in your abilities."

Josie frowned. "Are you saying there were people who tried to kidnap me and you didn't tell me?"

Klaus looked uncomfortable. "I was trying to protect you."

"By keeping me from the truth?" asked Josie, feeling her anger flare. "How..."

She trailed off, sighing and wrapping her arms around him. It's not like she hadn't kept things from him either.

"Well, we're quite a pair," said Josie, leaning her head against his chest. "We can't keep doing this."

Klaus pulled back. "Doing what exactly?"

"Keeping secrets," answered Josie, looking into his eyes. "We're going to be parents. And I want... I hope that we can be partners, too."

Klaus tilted his head in confusion. "I thought we were, love."

"Partners don't keep secrets," said Josie. "They tell each other everything. They're... equals." She bit her lip. "Do you think you can do that?"

Klaus cupped her face. "I want to... I do. Please understand that I'm not..." He sighed, obviously trying to collect his thoughts. "For a thousand years, I've answered to no one. Took what I wanted, compelled the rest, and, save for my family, cared nothing for the lives of others."

He leaned his forehead against hers and breathed deeply before continuing.

"I do love you. And I want this to work. For us to be a family. I only ask for your patience."

Josie smiled slightly. This was obviously foreign territory for him.

"Okay," she said, snaking her arms around his neck to pull him down for a kiss. "If you'll do the same for me."

Klaus just smiled and kissed her. A kiss that soon turned passionate. He picked her up and sped them into the bedroom, placing her gently on the bed. He hovered over her, kissing her neck.

She grabbed his butt and tried to push his pelvis into hers, but he just took her hands, linking them with his and placed them above her head. He continued kissing her neck slowly, though she could feel his straining erection nudging itself between her legs.

What was his deal? Josie nearly growled and pull him down, rubbing herself against him, only for him to take her hands again and put them above her head. She whimpered in frustration and he pulled back.

"Patience, love," he chuckled.

Josie cocked her head. "Patience? For a guy who couldn't wait to get me here, you have a funny way of showing it."

"I'd like to take my time."

Josie rolled her eyes. "You can do that next time."

She tried to pull him down again, but he didn't budge.

"Okay," she frowned. "What's wrong? You never want to take your time after we've been apart."

Klaus looked uncomfortable and his eyes darted to her stomach.

Josie frowned. "Are you afraid you're going to hurt the baby?"

Klaus didn't say anything, but Josie laughed.

"You can't hurt the baby by having sex."

Klaus frowned. "I could hurt you."

Josie blinked, letting the words sink in, realizing how right he was.

He was so much stronger than her, she had witnessed his strength on numerous occasions. The same hands that brought her pleasure had been used to snap necks with a flick of a wrist, tear out hearts and punch through steel doors like they were made of paper.

"But you never have," said Josie, shaking her head. She reached up and tugged his head down. "I trust you won't."

She kissed him, running her hands through his hair and slowly pulling him down on top of her.

"We can go slow at first," she said. "If you want."

Klaus smiled and moved his lips to her neck. He sat her up briefly to remove her shirt before laying her back down. He continued kissing down her body as he removed her bra, then her skirt and underwear.

He was kissing her stomach when he tensed.

"Oh, bloody hell," groaned Klaus.

"What?" asked Josie, quizically. "What's wrong?"

He sat up. "Elijah told me the baby's heartbeat sounded erratic yesterday. I thought so at first, but..."

"But what?" frowned Josie. "Can you hear it better now? Is it still erratic? Is something wrong?"

Klaus smiled slightly at her fretting. "Nothing's wrong, love. I can hear them more clearly now. The heartbeats aren't erratic."

Josie nodded, then what he said registered. "Heartbeats...?"

"Yes," he said, squeezing her thighs. "It appears we're having twins."

Josie's eyes widened. "Twins? That's not... what? Twins?"

Klaus nodded. "It's a little difficult to distinguish, but yes, I can hear two heartbeats."

Josie brought her hands to her stomach, placing them there.

"Wow," she breathed. "Oh my god, I was scared of one baby, now we're going to have two?"

"Relax, love," said Klaus, coaxing her back down on her back and lying beside her.

"Easy for you to say," Josie snorted. "You don't have to grow and give birth to two babies!"

He placed one of his hands in between hers, so his hand was resting on her stomach as well.

"We'll simply get two nannies instead of one," he commented.

Josie's head snapped to face his, which was just inches away from hers on the pillow.

"Very funny," she said, sourly.

"Perhaps I should take your mind off it?" he mused, leaning in to kiss her.

After he extracted his hand from between hers and let it wander to the apex of her thighs, she had to admit his distraction was starting to work. After he'd crawled between her spread legs and started licking her, she'd forgotten her anxiety and let herself get lost in the pleasure he was giving her.

o – o – o

When Klaus awoke the next day, the sun was shining brightly through the windows of his apartment. Josie was still fast asleep, nestled against his side. He listened closely and heard the heartbeats of his children inside her womb. The sound brought a smile to his face.

He hadn't thought about having children for a long time. When he was human, suffering at the hands of his father's brutality, he had been determined to never treat his children the way he was treated.

He had never longed for children. Back then, it was simply an accepted part of life- marriage, children, growing food, raising livestock. One didn't have the choices of the modern age.

Yet, when he and his siblings had been turned, he'd felt no sense of loss in regards to his fertility, not in the way Rebekah, or even Elijah had.

Out of all his siblings, perhaps, he deserved this the least, wanted it the least, and yet, as he stared at Josie, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest as she slept, heard the steady heartbeats of his children, he could not regret what had happened.

He remembered the first time he had seen her- when he'd taken possession of Alaric's body. He'd thought she was beautiful and his male eyes had roamed her figure appreciatively, despite their status as enemies.

When they faced off later that night, at the dance, he'd been impressed with her boldness, her cunning. Of course, her brashness had only increased with Elijah at her side. Even then, Klaus had felt a small spark of envy at the way Elijah touched her; she was beautiful and brave and clearly loyal to a fault. He understood what had appealed to Elijah, despite her youth.

But then, Elijah had been daggered and Klaus had taken Josie once her true nature had been revealed. He often wondered what she thought of their time together during the summer. She wasn't with him willingly, of course, but he'd found he enjoyed her company immensely- telling stories of years past just to see her laugh at his anecdotes, taking her places so he could see the wonder and appreciation on her face...

 _Maine, Early August 2010_

" _You know, one of these days, she's going to catch you," said Stefan._

 _Klaus was standing on the balcony of their suite, looking down at the pool area where Josie was lounging and reading a book. He, Stefan and Josie had been on the road for over two months now._

 _Klaus raised his glass to his lips. "I'm not sure I understand."_

 _Stefan just looked at Klaus. "Oh, come on. Josie may be oblivious, but I'm not. You think I haven't noticed how you stare? How you compel other men away?"_

" _I'm responsible for her safety," shrugged Klaus, turning back towards the suite._

" _Right," said Stefan sarcastically. "That's why we've had sushi three times this week. Why you let her drag us to that festival. Rented that ridiculous yacht to watch the fireworks."_

 _Klaus opened his mouth, then frowned. Why had he done those things?_

" _I need a compliant Oracle," said Klaus, pouring himself another drink._

 _Stefan scoffed. "You had her cooperation when you left Mystic Falls."_

 _Klaus didn't say anything, just took a sip of his drink._

" _Are you in love with her?" asked Stefan._

" _Don't be absurd!" protested Klaus loudly. "She's simply a means to an end."_

" _Good. Because she already has a boyfriend."_

 _Klaus narrowed his eyes, thinking of that baby wolf with his hands all over Josie._

" _Yeah," said Stefan, shaking his head at the look on Klaus' face. "A means to an end."_

 _Stefan walked to the front door of the suite._

" _And where are you going?" asked Klaus._

" _I'm hungry."_

 _And then Stefan left the suite._

 _Klaus walked back out onto the balcony and looked down at Josie once more. She was talking to a busboy as he took her empty drink glass. Her face was lit up, laughing at some joke the busboy had told her._

 _Klaus clenched his jaw, unhappy with the way the busboy was eyeing her figure when she wasn't looking. He mentally shook himself._

 _This was ridiculous. She was beautiful, yes, and he enjoyed her company, but at the end of the day, she was an asset. No different from countless assets he'd acquired over the years. Granted, he had indulged her in a number of ways, but she was an Oracle, after all, not some run-of-the-mill witch or vampire._

 _He decided these types of indulgences needed to stop, lest they both forget her place. He blinked and realized she was gone from the pool area._

 _He heard the door to the suite open and Josie walked through the door._

" _Hey, Klaus," she said, wrapped in a pool towel. "You should have come in the pool. The water was nice."_

" _I'm not much for swimming," he said, tightly._

" _Too bad," smiled Josie. "I'm going to take a shower and then we can get something to eat."_

 _Klaus nodded. Dinner wasn't an indulgence. She did need to eat._

 _Josie set her purse down. "Sushi?"_

" _Again?" he asked, incredulously._

" _I know," she said, laughing. "Or I heard about this Lighthouse festival they're having down by the local pier, with a lighted boat parade."_

 _She smiled, looking at him with pleading eyes._

 _Klaus tilted his head, preparing to tell her there would be no festival, no parade. They would get her nourishment and come back to the hotel._

 _Instead, he said, "Alright, but shower quickly."_

 _Josie smiled brightly and flounced out of the room._

 _Klaus sighed, sipping his drink. What was wrong with him?_

After that, he'd had to admit to himself that he did, indeed, harbor some affection for her. The first time he'd sensed that she could possibly feel the same wasn't until they'd returned to Mystic Falls. After she'd undaggered Elijah and they'd had a fiery confrontation in the woods outside the high school.

When she'd tearfully asked him why he was being so nice, despite everything that had happened, he'd confessed to fancying her. And surprisingly, she hadn't recoiled in horror. She hadn't even backed away when he started to lean in for a kiss, drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

Of course Damon had awoken and ruined the moment. He'd spent the next week waiting for another opportunity. After he'd given her the Nefertiti necklace, had felt the smooth warmth of her skin underneath his fingertips when he'd put it around her neck, he found he could no longer wait.

He'd been delighted when she'd eagerly returned his caresses and it had been mere minutes before he had her writhing in pleasure underneath him.

The next few weeks had been some of the happiest times he could remember. He had begun building his pack and instead of simply accompanying him, as he expected, Josie had taken an active role in the pack's formation. Suggesting social events, practical strategies for pack cohesion, training tactics, etc.

When one of the new hybrids had commented on how lucky Klaus was to have a mate like Josie, he hadn't bothered correcting him. Was that why he'd marked her? Why he hadn't resisted when his wolf took over, leaning down and biting the back of her neck, claiming what was his.

When he'd returned from being daggered, hers was the first face he saw. When she explained what had transpired in his absence, how she had worked to bring him back, he'd been shocked. No one had shown him that kind of loyalty, that kind of affection, in a long time.

He'd realized that night he was in love with her. That maybe he had been all along. Somewhere in between all their summer conversations, the amazing sex, the verbal sparring, the pack building, he had fallen head over heels for this girl.

Josie stirring beside him brought him back to the present. He smiled when she opened her eyes.

"Good morning, my love," he said, leaning over to kiss her. "How did you sleep?'

"Fine," said Josie, covering her mouth as she yawned. "I don't feel so good though."

Klaus winced when she shot out of bed, barely making it to the bathroom before heaving into the toilet.

o – o – o

"Feeling better?" asked Klaus when she walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later.

Josie nodded and took the glass of water he offered. "Thanks."

She sat on the bed, curled into his side, while she read and replied to all the messages on her phone, most of them from the pack.

"They're so excited," commented Josie, setting her phone aside after a while.

Klaus set down his phone as well.

"I am their Alpha," he replied. "And this is possibly the only baby or babies, rather, that our pack will have."

Josie wondered at that. In the original storyline, the hybrids hadn't really lived long enough to know if Klaus was a unique case or if all hybrids retained their fertility.

The doorbell rang.

"That'll be lunch," said Klaus, getting up and putting clothes on.

Josie wandered out to the dining room, in one of Klaus' shirts. She nibbled on some of the bread from her sandwich, but didn't eat much, her stomach still upset.

"Still not feeling well?" he asked, looking at her mostly untouched plate.

Josie sighed. "It's after noon, how can I still have morning sickness?"

Klaus chuckled. "Morning sickness is a bit of a misnomer, love. It can befall you at any time of day."

Josie raised her eyebrows at his sudden expert pregnancy knowledge.

"I may have done some reading while you were in the bathroom," he shrugged.

"I really need to read that book Elijah got me," she muttered.

She was distracted by her phone ringing. It was Elena.

After assuring Elena that she was fine, the subject turned to going back to Mystic Falls.

"Are you leaving today?" asked Elena. "Elijah offered to drive me back, but said we could stay for another day or two if I wanted to explore the city."

"Do you?" asked Josie. "Want to explore the city?"

She wouldn't mind staying in New York for a few days. Winter break for both her and Elena didn't end for several more days.

"Yeah," answered Elena. "Lexi offered to take us on a tour last night."

"Right," remembered Josie, smiling.

They made plans to meet up in a few hours, enough time for Josie to get ready and find some clothes.

Josie called Damon, but he didn't pick up. She shrugged, figuring he was probably drunk somewhere with Enzo, or in bed with that red head.

o – o – o

When Josie stepped out of the cab a few hours later, she felt a lot better. After a shower and new clothes, along with an assortment of nausea-fighting snacks, she felt ready to explore the city.

She waved to Lexi, Elijah and Elena as she and Klaus crossed the street.

"Cool, isn't it?" asked Josie, looking up at the billboards of Times Square.

Elena took out her phone and started talking pictures. Josie smiled when Elena tried to get Elijah to take a selfie.

"They say Times Square is the Center of the Universe," said Lexi, chuckling a little.

Josie laughed. "Arrogant New Yorkers."

"One can see their point," said Klaus, looking up and down the boulevards bustling with cars and pedestrians.

Josie looked at him. "What does that mean?"

Klaus looked like he wanted to say something, but all he said was, "Nothing, love."

"Talk to me," said Josie, tugging on his arm and pulling him away from the group. "Remember, we're supposed to share and stuff."

"What do you think of Mystic Falls?" asked Klaus.

Josie shrugged. "It's fine. Why?"

"Is it where you wish to raise our children?"

"I guess I hadn't really thought about it," Josie confessed. "But it sounds like you have?"

"Admittedly, I've grown rather fond of Mystic Falls. It will always be my home."

"I'm sensing a 'but'."

"There is much more to the world than a small town can offer. I promised to show you the world... I would make that same promise to our children."

Josie nodded.

"There's no need to make a decision now," he said, smiling. "Plenty of time."

"You ready to go?" asked Lexi, coming up to them. "Elena wants to take a carriage ride around Central Park."

Klaus frowned. "Did you inform her that is an utter cliché?"

"Come now, Niklaus," said Elijah with a slight smile. "You do love horses."

o – o – o

After they took a carriage ride around Central Park, they were enjoying dinner at a small Italian bistro when Josie got a call from Damon.

"Where the hell have you been?" asked Josie. "I've been texting for hours."

"Busy."

She could practically hear his smirk.

"Can you untangle yourself from that redhead long enough for a drink?"

"There's a jazz club just off 76th on the Upper West Side," said Damon. "Enzo recommends their Cuba Libre's."

Josie smiled. "Make mine a virgin."

"So... coke."

"See you in an hour, Damon," laughed Josie before hanging up.

"Going somewhere, love?" asked Klaus.

Josie rolled her eyes. "As if you weren't eavesdropping... Damon and Enzo are going to a jazz club. Who's in?"

Lexi nodded her agreement, while Elena and Elijah begged off. Reluctantly, Klaus agreed to go for an hour or two.

Josie understood. Despite their truce, there was no love lost between the Originals and the Salvatores, and Josie was sure Elena would feel awkward around both Damon and Stefan for a while.

When Elena got up to go to the bathroom after dessert, Josie went with her.

"Hey," said Josie, as they walked into the bathroom. "Are you... is it okay that I'm friends with Damon?"

Elena shrugged. "Of course."

"Good," Josie smiled. "So... spill."

Elena frowned. "Spill what?"

Josie looked exasperated. "What happened when you went back with Elijah to his place?"

Elena shook her head. "Nothing, Jo. I told you before, Elijah and I are just friends."

"So you just went back and slept?"

Elena shrugged. "We talked for a while. It was... nice. Besides the whole Damon/Stefan thing just ended. I think maybe I should take a break from dating for a while."

"Maybe you're right," said Josie. "But you have to admit that Elijah is hot, right? I mean, I had a little crush on him when we first met."

Elena blushed a little. "He's... attractive."

"And strong and brave and noble," said Josie, ticking off all his qualities on her fingers.

Elena smiled sadly. "And he's also dated two other girls who look exactly like me."

"So?"

"So... I don't want to be a replacement," said Elena, looking unsure and insecure.

Josie rubbed Elena's back comfortingly.

"I don't think Elijah would do that."

"Yeah," said Elena, nodding. "You're probably right."

o – o – o

"Hey," said Damon, cocking his head at Klaus and Josie as they sat down with him and Enzo at the jazz club.

Lexi had gone to the bar to get drinks for her and Klaus.

"Your virgin Cuba Libre," Damon said, sliding the drink over to Josie.

Josie laughed and took a sip. "Thanks."

"Remember not too much caffeine, love," said Klaus.

"Right," sighed Josie.

It was hard remembering all the rules you had to follow when being pregnant. She'd thought it was just alcohol that was a no-no. Apparently, there was limited caffeine, no deli meats, and worst of all, no sushi.

"So... twins, huh?" asked Damon. "Have you thought about names yet? Damon is a great name."

Klaus narrowed his eyes.

"It's a little early to be thinking of names," said Josie, trying to cut the tension. "We don't even know the sexes yet."

"Perhaps something to ask your witch friend Bonnie," said Enzo. "Witches have all sorts of tricks to suss out things like that."

Josie nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."

She looked at Klaus.

"As long as it's safe," he replied.

After that, Lexi returned with drinks and her presence helped ease some of the tension.

Josie was leaving the bathroom a little while later, when she ran into Damon just outside.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked. "In private?"

Josie nodded. "What's up, Damon?"

"I have a surprise for you," smirked Damon, cocking his head to the back entrance.

"What is it?" asked Josie, following him.

Damon just smiled at her question and led her outside. When they were in the alley, Josie looked around.

"So, where's this surprise?" asked Josie, turning back toward Damon.

Damon didn't say anything, just clamped a hand over her mouth and picked her up roughly. She tried to scream, but the sound was muffled by his hand. The world blurred crazily and she knew they were traveling at vampire speed.

When they stopped, Damon shoved her into the trunk of a car.

"Damon, please!" she screamed, before a gag was placed in her mouth.

She tried to kick and scream, but Damon quickly bound her wrists tightly.

"Don't want you to hurt yourself," said Damon, eyes as cold as she had ever seen them.

Those eyes were the last thing she saw before the trunk was closed, shutting out the outside world from her view.

o – o – o

"Help!" Josie screamed, the second the gag was removed. "Help!"

She had been carried from the trunk into a building by an unknown man and tied to a chair.

"Please don't scream like a banshee," came an annoyed voice from behind her. "It hurts my ears and it won't do you any good."

Josie froze up at the sound of that familiar voice. The voice she'd been dreading to hear ever since she'd returned to this world.

"Diana," said Josie, tugging on the restraints that held her.

Her fear increased tenfold. She prayed to whatever deity was listening to let her and her unborn children get out of this alive.

"In the flesh," smirked Diana. "It was too easy to lure you away from your protectors."

Josie frowned, forgetting for a second the danger she was in to contemplate the role Damon had played.

Diana sighed. "I wish I could say he betrayed you, but..."

Diana smiled evilly when two men came into the building, dragging a moaning Damon.

"What did you do to him?" exclaimed Josie, tugging on her restraints.

The men put Damon in a set of chains that were obviously soaked in vervain as they burned his flesh upon contact, causing him to shout.

"I didn't do anything to him," shrugged Diana.

Josie frowned and Damon looked up.

"Fuck you," he groaned in Diana's direction.

The red head from the night before appeared. "I think we covered that."

Damon's head whipped in her direction and he snarled.

"Fuck you too, bitch. What the hell did you do to me?"

The red head laughed. "Oh, it was just a little spell... Shouldn't cause any permanent damage."

"Let us go!" exclaimed Josie. "Klaus..."

"This whole place is cloaked," Diana cut in. "He'll never find you."

Josie scoffed. "You don't know him. He'll find me. And when he does, he'll make you wish you'd never been born."

Diana's confident face faltered for a moment at the intensity of Josie's words.

"Enough," said the redhead. "Or I'll gag you again."

"You're right," said Diana, turning back to Josie. "Shall we get started?"

 **A/N: Diana returns and it's twins!**

 **Let me know what you thought of the Klaus/Josie convos and the Klaus POV/flashback, and if there are other characters/times you'd like to get a better glance of.**


	73. Just Breathe

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait on this one- it was a busy week for me, plus I got caught up in the Elijah/OC story- I just posted the prologue, so check it out if you're interested! Some thoughts:**

 **Klaus' comments last chapter about the world being a big place were definitely alluding to New Orleans.**

 **There were a few comments about Josie's feelings towards the pregnancy, especially about not being around her family back home. I'll address that, but right now she's only known for about 2 days (seems longer given chapter lengths, I know), so to a certain extent she hasn't really processed her feelings yet.**

 **For Nadia, the Gemini Coven, etc. I'm still pondering how this next arc is going to shake out, but I do like the Kat/Nadia team-up, so it's a definite possibility. Dahlia will show at some point (as will Freya) because of the babies.**

 **Anyway, blah, blah, blah- here's the update!**

The pain was unbelievable and Josie screamed. Again and again and again until she was hoarse. Images flashed in her mind. People, places, events. She saw herself, standing on a sunny square in New Orleans. Elena in a graduation cap. Jeremy, as a vampire, drinking from a stranger's neck. Finn, feeding chickens.

Her mind seemed to focus on Finn. Look at the house, a voice said in her mind. Look at the road. The voice filled her brain and she screamed, trying to force it out. Stop the pain. Stop, stop...

"Stop!" she screamed.

Diana's sweaty fingers moved away from her forehead and Josie was pulled out of her mind and back to reality.

She was sitting, tied to that same chair, in the warehouse with Diana. Josie practically swallowed the air, trying to catch her breath, willing the remnants of the pain in her head to go away.

"Are you okay?" asked Damon, looking over at Josie with a worried glance.

Josie could barely nod, but she tried, for Damon's sake.

"Why is this taking so long?" asked the redhead, who she now knew was Amy.

"This isn't like digging for a memory," snapped Diana, looking just as haggard as Josie. "I'm using magic to force the connection she has to the Source to produce a vision. A specific vision at that."

Amy rolled her eyes and took another sip of her drink. "We need the cure, Diana."

"You don't think I know that!" exclaimed Diana. "I'm close. I saw him."

Josie suddenly understood. That's what they were doing. Silas and these witches Diana was working with (didn't Silas have a cult named after him or something?)- they were looking for Finn, because Finn's blood was the cure. Without it, Silas couldn't die.

"So go back in and try again," said Amy.

Diana sighed and lifted her hands back up to Josie's head.

"Leave her alone!" shouted Damon, tugging with all his strength on his vervain-soaked restraints.

Not that it did him much good. They'd been injecting him with vervain periodically and he hadn't fed.

Diana just ignored him and closed her eyes.

"Please," Josie begged, trying to get away from Diana's hands. "Please, don't..."

She screamed when Diana activated the spell, forcing her back into her mind and into the confusing array of images again.

o – o – o

"Damon's not answering either," said Enzo, holding the phone to his ear.

"Well, they can't have gone far," said Lexi, trying to be helpful. "Damon only left the table a few minutes ago."

Lexi, Enzo and Klaus were standing in the alley, near the back entrance of the jazz club. One of the bar staff had seen Damon and Josie leaving out the back entrance.

"Maybe they left to get a coffee or something," offered Enzo.

Klaus growled and grabbed Enzo by the neck, holding him against the wall of the building.

"She would never leave without me!" shouted Klaus, tightening his grip. "He took her!"

"More likely someone took them both," said Lexi. "Either way, this isn't helping."

Klaus snarled, tossing Enzo into the side of a nearby dumpster. He pulled out his phone.

"Mason!" he growled the second his Beta picked up. "Josie is missing. Fetch the mirror."

o – o – o

"I made you a pie," smiled Sage, kissing Finn when he stepped into the kitchen.

"Baking?" mused Finn, wrapping his arms around her. "Where's the wild and crazy woman I fell in love with?"

"Trying to keep busy," said Sage, running her hands through his hair. "But I think this one's pretty good."

"The others were fine," said Finn, sitting down at the table while Sage cut him a slice.

"Don't lie," she said, handing him the plate.

He smiled and sat down with her at the table. "I wouldn't dare."

A crash outside startled both of them.

"What was that?" asked Sage, getting up from the table.

Though it had been a month since she'd been human, it was clear she still wasn't used to her slower reflexes, the lack of strength and speed.

"Stay here," said Finn, grabbing a nearby bat and walking to the front door.

He cautiously opened the door to the old farmhouse and sighed in relief when he saw the grill on its side.

"Just the grill," he called to Sage. "The wind must have knocked it over."

He went out, picked up the grill, and righted it. When he stood back up, a woman was standing there.

"Hello, Finn," she said, smiling.

"Who are you?" he asked, frowning. "How do you know my name?"

"My name's Diana," she said. "I'm here for the cure."

Finn's eyes widened. "Sage! Run!"

He backed away, holding up his hand. He tried to fight her off, but he'd only been doing magic for a month.

"Baby witch," smirked Diana. "Cute."

She raised her hand and Finn slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"No!" shouted Sage, running toward Diana. "Leave him alone."

"Stay back!" warned the woman. "I will kill you."

"Not if I kill you first," snarled Sage, raising a gun.

Diana smiled when she saw Sage's neck snap.

"You're welcome," said Amy, coming from her position behind Sage.

"One less thing to worry about," said Diana, shrugging as she looked down at Sage's body.

Amy nodded. "Help me with him. Let's get him in a cell before he wakes up."

Diana nodded and stooped to help Amy with Finn's body.

Josie gasped as she was pulled back to reality from her vision. She blinked, knowing exactly where Finn was now. The question was, had Diana seen it?

Diana, for her part, was slumped in her own chair, breathing heavily, nearly drenched in sweat. Josie felt some satisfaction. Besides the pain, the spell was clearly just as hard on Diana as it was on her.

"Central Pennsylvania," whispered Diana. "I saw the address on the house."

Amy smiled brightly. "Great work, let's go!"

Diana shook her head, looking back up, at Josie. "Not before I finish with her."

Josie looked alarmed. "What do you mean?"

"If you touch her..." Damon began.

"Quiet!" shouted Amy, flicking her wrist to snap Damon's neck.

He slumped ungraciously in his chair.

"You can't complete the purging spell yet," said Amy, shaking her head. "Not until we have the cure in our possession."

Purging spell? What did that mean? They couldn't mean... No, even Diana wouldn't kill an unborn child, would she?

"And we need to find the others," continued Amy.

Diana frowned. "You don't need her to find the others."

Others? Did they mean the Originals? Who were these witches Diana had aligned herself with? She wondered if they had some history with the Mikaelsons, or maybe Klaus? Maybe they weren't a cult that followed Silas?

"What about him?" asked Diana, looking at Damon.

"Given his connections, he could prove useful," shrugged Amy. "We'll figure out what to do with him when we get back."

Diana nodded, getting up from the chair.

"Watch them," said Amy, talking to one of the people who were standing around the perimeter of the large warehouse they were in. "We'll be back soon."

o – o – o

"What the bloody hell do you mean it's not working?" Klaus practically screamed into the phone. "She has the necklace, the mirror shows where the necklace is. It's not that bloody difficult!"

"I don't know, Klaus," said Mason, quickly. "The mirror is showing an area of New York, but it's not specific. I can see, maybe a twenty block area, near the docks on the East River."

Klaus snarled. "That's impossible!"

"Could be something's blocking your locator," offered Enzo.

To his credit, Enzo hadn't left. Clearly, he felt some amount of loyalty towards Damon.

Klaus clenched his jaw. "Of course. The building must be cloaked. It's dispersing the necklace's effects. Call a witch," growled Klaus into the phone. "And update me when you have something."

He hung up and howled loudly, taking the dumpster and throwing it down the alley until it crashed into the side of a building.

"How can we help?" asked Lexi quietly, making sure to keep a wide berth.

"Call everyone you know," said Klaus, lifting his phone again to call Elijah. "We'll search all of Manhattan if we have to."

o – o – o

Josie halfheartedly pulled on her restraints. Diana and Amy were long gone. The dozen or so guards who had been left to watch her and Damon wandered around the warehouse, though none of them approached their hostages.

Josie was terrified. Whatever Diana had done to her didn't seem to cause any physical damage, but she was still worried. She desperately wanted Damon to wake so he could listen for the heartbeats.

She smiled weakly when Damon groaned.

"You okay?" she asked, looking him up and down.

There was still a red ring around his wrists and ankles where the vervain-soaked restraints were causing constant damage, but other than that, he seemed okay.

"Never better," answered Damon. "You?"

"About the same," she replied. "Can you...?"

She glanced pointedly down at her stomach. She didn't know if these people or even Diana knew she was pregnant, but she didn't want to tell them if they didn't.

Damon seemed to understand her meaning and he closed his eyes, listening. He opened them almost immediately and nodded.

'Sounds good,' he mouthed.

Josie breathed a sigh of relief and they lapsed into a momentary silence.

"You know if you wanted to get me alone, all you had to do was ask," said Damon.

Josie smiled in spite of the situation. "Next time we hang out, I get to pick the activity."

"As long as it doesn't involve vervain injections..."

"Or being tied up," Josie added.

"Well, let's not rule everything interesting out," said Damon, smirking.

Josie smiled slightly, knowing Damon was just trying to make light of the situation to make them both feel better.

"He'll find us," said Damon.

Josie just nodded, thinking of the special necklace she was wearing. She was worried though. They had been in this warehouse for an hour at least, possibly longer. Where was Klaus? Why hadn't he come already? Was the necklace not working?

She closed her eyes. She was so tired. She wasn't physically hurting, but the effects of Diana's spell were not so easily dismissed. She was thirsty and hungry. She felt faint, weak.

"Are you okay?" asked Damon.

Josie blinked, opening her eyes slowly. "I... uh..."

"Hey!" shouted Damon. "Hey!"

He was calling to one of the guards that surrounded the building. One of them walked over.

"What do you want, vampire?" the man asked with venom in his voice.

"She's not feeling well," said Damon, ignoring his tone. "Can you get her some water or something?"

"She's not dead," shrugged the man, looking at Josie.

Damon growled and tried in vain to get through his restraints. All that earned him was a punch across the face from the man.

"I'm really going to enjoy watching you die," snarled Damon.

Before the man had a chance to reply, there was a loud crash against the side of the warehouse. The man turned and started running towards one of the doors.

He stopped short when one of the windows smashed spectacularly by two figures crashing through it. It was one of the guards, and Enzo.

"Enzo!" shouted Damon.

Enzo sped over to the man who'd been arguing with Josie and Damon and snapped his neck. Enzo then knelt beside Damon. He winced when the vervain burned him.

"You're lucky I'm practically immune to this stuff, mate," said Enzo, shaking his head as he broke the chains.

There was a loud shout from outside and the remaining guards ran out there.

"Where's Klaus?" asked Josie.

Enzo didn't answer, just ripped through her restraints. She tried to stand, but wobbled. She looked over and Damon wasn't doing much better.

"He needs blood," Josie whispered, trying to steady herself.

Enzo nodded and started pulling Damon towards the unconscious man he'd come through the window with.

A loud growl reverberated around the warehouse and she saw Klaus stumble in, surrounded by all the people- witches, apparently- that had been guarding her and Damon.

Klaus was strong, but he was having trouble fighting off all the witches. Josie met his eyes and she somehow found the strength to stand up.

She half-ran, half-stumbled over to the group, none of the witches paying her any mind, so focused they were on Klaus. She grabbed a piece of metal from the ground and reared back, hitting the closest witch with all her might.

The blow sent the witch careening into another and was enough to break the witches' concentration for a split second. That was all Klaus needed. Before Josie could blink, he had snapped the necks of half of them.

The next split second, the other half were dead and a smug Enzo was standing opposite Klaus in the center.

Josie smiled at their victory, but felt the adrenaline leave her body and she staggered.

Strong arms caught her and she knew it was Klaus when he bent down and looped his arms under her back and legs, picking her up.

"What'd I miss?" asked Elijah, breezing into the warehouse with blood on his hands.

"Sorry, mate," smirked Enzo. "If I'd known you were so close, I'd have saved some for you."

"Are you alright?" Klaus asked, peering down at Josie, concerned. "I'm sorry it took so long."

She nodded, snuggling into his chest. "I'm okay. Just... tired."

Elijah stepped forward. "Did they hurt you?"

"It wasn't them, per say," said Josie, sighing. "Diana's back."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "Where is she?"

"She left," sighed Josie. "She used some mind-probing spell to force a vision on me. Of Finn. She and this group of witches are after the cure. Based on what Kol heard, I'm guessing it's for Silas."

"Did you see Silas?" asked Klaus.

Josie shook her head. "Though he can make you see whoever he wants, so maybe I did?"

"Where's Finn?" asked Elijah.

Josie told him the address and he immediately left, no doubt to chase Diana and Amy down.

"He won't catch them," said Damon, coming to stand next to Enzo, Klaus and Josie. "They left over an hour ago."

"You're safe," said Klaus, tightening his grip on Josie. "That's what matters." He turned to Damon. "No thanks to you."

"It wasn't his fault," said Josie, quickly. "He was kidnapped too."

She decided not to tell Klaus about the witch's mind-control spell on Damon. What was the point? Either way, it wasn't Damon's fault.

"Please just take me home," said Josie. "I'm tired and thirsty."

Klaus gave Damon an unfriendly look, but clearly decided taking Josie to his apartment was more important because the next second they were traveling at vampire speed through the city.

"Jo!" exclaimed Elena, when Klaus and Josie came in through the door of Klaus' apartment.

"Hey," smiled Josie faintly. "I'm okay."

"Get her water," ordered Klaus as he carried Josie into the master bedroom.

He threw back the covers and gently put her down, then laid beside her. Elena came a few seconds later with the water.

"Thanks," said Josie, gulping the water down.

Josie declined another glass and laid back down, her eyes closing. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

o – o – o

"What happened?" whispered Elena, looking down at Josie. "Is she okay? What about the others?"

Klaus nodded. "Everyone is fine. So are the babies."

Elena felt a sigh of relief, knowing the full explanation could wait until the morning.

"I'll leave you two."

It was after midnight. She'd been at Klaus' for the past two hours, ever since Klaus had called Elijah and told him Josie was missing.

"There are two other bedrooms," said Klaus, looking back up at Elena for second. "Feel free to use one of them."

Elena nodded and stood up. She turned around just as she reached the door. She smiled at the sight before her. Klaus had shifted down the bed and pulled Josie tightly to him. One arm was under her head, while the other rested firmly on her stomach in a distinctly protective gesture.

o – o – o

When Josie awoke it was nearly noon. Klaus was still there. He was sitting up in bed, still in his clothes from last night. He was on his phone, typing something out hurriedly.

"Morning, love," he said, putting the phone aside. "How are you feeling?"

Josie grimaced. "Excuse me."

She quickly got out of bed and went to the bathroom, vomiting into the toilet. She didn't remember Hayley ever getting morning sickness. Of course, Hayley was a werewolf, so maybe that helped. Plus, she'd read morning sickness was worse with multiples.

Just as the day before, Klaus offered a glass of water when Josie returned to the bedroom.

"Thanks," she smiled. "That's so gross."

"Only lasts for the first trimester," offered Klaus.

Josie sighed, knowing she needed to read that book Elijah gave her, or at least do some googling. She knew why she'd been putting it off. It was the same reason she'd come to New York with Damon and Enzo.

The reality was she wasn't ready for this. She knew she had nine months to prepare, but the minute she stopped to think; stopped to read that book, it would become real. Klaus was clearly starting to come around to the idea that they were going to be parents, she knew she needed to as well.

She placed her hand on her stomach and tried for a smile. "How are they today?"

Klaus scrutinized her face. "They're fine... How are you?'

Josie shrugged, not really wanting to answer the question.

"Whatever Diana did doesn't seem to have any lasting effects," was all she said.

"I thought we agreed to be honest with each other?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Josie sighed, trying to formulate her thoughts into words. "I..."

There was a knock at the door and Josie, grateful for the distraction, immediately hopped off the bed.

"Just a minute," she called.

She opened the door and Elena and Elijah were standing there.

"I took the liberty of ordering lunch," said Elijah.

"We thought you might be hungry," added Elena.

Josie smiled. "Maybe a little something would help settle my stomach."

"Is it morning sickness or from what happened yesterday?" asked Elena, suddenly concerned.

"Just morning sickness," answered Josie. "That apparently strikes in the afternoon."

"Actually morning sickness can happen at any..." began Elena.

"I know!" exclaimed Josie, immediately regretting her outburst at the hurt look on Elena's face. "Sorry, I just..."

"It's okay, Jo," said Elena quietly. "Mood swings are normal too."

Josie clenched her teeth, trying not to look murderous.

"Perhaps some lunch, love," offered Klaus, putting a comforting hand on her back.

Josie nodded tightly. "Right. Thanks. I think I'll grab a quick shower first."

She headed into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

o – o – o

"Is she okay?" asked Elena, as they set the table for lunch while Josie was in the shower.

"She's fine," Klaus answered curtly. "Your comments are not helpful."

"I just want her to know I understand," said Elena, a little defensively. "I want to be there for her."

"As do we all!" snapped Klaus.

"Niklaus!" scolded Elijah, at Klaus' heated tone. "I do not believe expectant fathers are prone to mood swings..."

Klaus narrowed his eyes.

"I suspect she simply needs time," continued Elijah. "Returning to Mystic Falls and the comfort of the familiar will help."

Elena nodded. "It's too dangerous here with Diana on the loose."

"The pack can protect her in Mystic Falls," agreed Klaus. "But we must find Diana. Now that she has Finn in her possession, she has all the pieces she needs to carry out Silas' plan."

"Haven't you been looking for her for the past week?" asked Elena. "And you had no idea she was here in New York?"

Klaus clenched his jaw. "We're doing all we can."

"According to Josie, she cannot lower the Veil without three sacrifices," Elijah reminded her. "Three very specific sacrifices in a specific geographical arrangement."

"The Expression triangle," said Elena, nodding. "I know."

"There are ways to track such things," said Klaus, smugly. "Magically."

Elena frowned. "How did you convince another witch to help?"

Klaus smirked. "There are plenty of witches who have no interest in the Veil being lowered. I had my hybrids visit a few of them. They can be very persuasive."

"Why don't I want to know the methods of persuasion?" asked Elena, shaking her head.

"Because you know Niklaus too well," said Elijah, with a hint of a smirk.

Elena smiled slightly. "Sometimes I don't understand how we ended up on the same side."

"My sentiments exactly," returned Klaus.

"Surely you realize you're more than just allies?" mused Elijah.

Klaus and Elena looked at Elijah, curiously. Was he suggesting they were friends?

"Niklaus and his pack have accepted Josie as his mate," said Elijah. "You are, for lack of a better term, essentially in-laws."

Both Elena and Klaus looked more than a little alarmed at this prospect.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," said Josie, shaking her head and walking into the dining room. "So... what's for lunch?"

o – o – o

"Did you have enough?" asked Elena, thirty minutes later.

She was eyeing Josie's mostly untouched plate.

Josie rolled her eyes at Elena's mothering. "Small, frequent meals help morning sickness."

Elena just smiled at the knowledge drop. "We can save the rest for later then."

"Speaking of," said Josie. "What are we doing today? Statue of Liberty?"

Elena looked uncomfortable while Klaus cleared his throat.

"I've already informed the airfield we'll be returning to Mystic Falls today," said Klaus.

Josie frowned, though it wasn't entirely unexpected. She was sure with Diana's kidnapping, Klaus was eager to get her back to Mystic Falls where he had about 50 hybrids who could provide protection.

"We will return to New York, love," said Klaus, placing a comforting hand on her knee. "Someday."

"Are you guys coming back too?" Josie asked Elena and Elijah.

Elena nodded. "We're driving Elijah's car back tomorrow."

They cleaned up after their lunch and then Elena and Elijah got ready to leave Klaus' apartment.

"Here," said Elena, handing Josie a paper bag. "To read on the plane."

Josie peeked inside and saw 'What to Expect When You're Expecting'.

"Thanks," said Josie, looking at Elijah.

"There's even a special section on twins," said Elena, opening the front door to Klaus' apartment.

She reached forward and hugged Josie.

"I'll see you back in Mystic Falls," said Josie, hugging Elena back. "You too, Elijah."

"Travel safely, my dear," said Elijah, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Josie smiled and pulled him into a quick hug. "Thank you. For coming all this way."

Elijah smiled. "Of course." He nodded at Klaus. "Niklaus."

"I shall ensure she makes it home safely, Brother," said Klaus, wrapping an arm around Josie's waist. "I expect you will do the same for Elena." He smiled at Elena. "Can't have my doppelganger blood put in jeopardy."

Elena just huffed and left.

"Your concern is heartwarming," said Josie, rolling her eyes.

"Perhaps a different turn of phrase?" mused Elijah, following Elena out the door. "She will be your children's aunt."

Klaus just narrowed his eyes and closed the door behind them.

"Elena is my sister, Klaus," said Josie, shaking her head. "You could be a little nicer."

"When she makes plain her disdain for me?" he challenged.

"She's been more than polite," argued Josie. "Besides you'd think you two would get along. Two nosy, controlling people..."

Klaus' face hardened.

"Let's just get ready to go, okay?" said Josie, moving towards the bedroom.

o – o – o

They were just about to step out the door of Klaus' apartment a little while later when Josie's phone rang.

"Damon!" exclaimed Josie. "How are you? Did you get my text?"

"Yeah," he said. "I'm fine. I shouldn't be surprised Klaus is taking you back to Mystic Falls."

Klaus narrowed his eyes, making it clear he was eavesdropping. Josie frowned and shoved him a little, scolding him for listening.

"He just wants to keep me safe, Damon."

"Just make sure he doesn't keep you prisoner," Damon fired back. "Then I'd have to strap on my hero hair..."

Klaus looked murderous, but allowed himself to be pushed out the door.

Josie rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. Besides hero hair is not a good look for you."

"I can pull off anything."

Josie laughed at that, following Klaus out the door.

"So I take it you're sticking around New York for a bit?" she asked.

"Yep," answered Damon. "Enzo's feeling nostalgic and Lexi just can't get enough of me. Stefan's even going to join us. It's Lexi's birthday next week."

"Tell her happy birthday for me," said Josie. "So is Katherine gone then?"

Damon huffed. "Katherine decided to stay once she heard Stefan was coming."

Josie chuckled. "Don't be too sour. I thought you'd sworn off doppelgangers?"

Klaus cleared his throat. "Elevator's here, love."

"I have to go," said Josie.

"Stay safe, Josie," said Damon, before hanging up.

Josie frowned as she and Klaus went into the elevator.

"I guess Damon and Stefan aren't going to be around when we get back."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "Disappointed?"

Josie cocked her head. "Damon and I are friends, Klaus. Granted it's been a little strained lately, mostly because I'm dating you, but Damon and I go way back."

"He conspired to have me daggered!"

Josie rolled her eyes. "And you were going to kill my sister! I tried to desiccate you. I had Mason bite Stefan. We're all guilty of one thing or another."

They stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby of the apartment building.

"You don't have to like him," continued Josie. "Just be polite. I'll tell you the same thing I told him. He's not going anywhere."

Klaus looked annoyed, but just put a hand on her back to lead her to the awaiting car. The driver put their things into the trunk and they climbed in, ready to head to the airport.

o – o – o

Josie looked out the window of the plane to see the retreating lights of New York City. After being served drinks, the flight attendant informed them their flight should only take an hour and a half.

"That's good," said Josie, sipping her ginger ale.

"Is your stomach bothering you, love?"

Josie shook her head. "No, I think the saltines helped. I just want to run to the grocery store so I have crackers and ginger ale for tomorrow. Jenna's gotten better at grocery shopping since Alaric moved in, but..."

"Make a list," said Klaus. "I'll ensure you have what you need."

The implication was clear. He didn't want her going to the grocery store.

She took a deep breath, reminding herself he was just trying to protect her.

"I'm not going to be a prisoner in my own home, Klaus," she said as calmly as possible.

"That is not my intention."

Josie nodded. "Good."

Klaus paused before he spoke next, as if scrutinizing her face.

"I think it's best if you stay with me."

Josie blinked. "What?"

"You'll be safest at my home," said Klaus, moving closer to her. "Admittedly, I'd hoped we would have more time to discuss things before you moved in, however..."

"Hold on," said Josie, shaking her head, trying to think. "I don't think... I mean... move in?"

She knew she was stuttering, but she was taken aback by his suggestion.

"How did you intend to raise our children?" he asked, clearly confused by her surprise. "Bouncing them back and forth? Where would they stay at the Gilbert residence? My home has plenty of room..."

"That's nine months from now," said Josie, shaking her head.

"Diana remains at large, the Veil could come down any second, and you expect me to leave you in your home, unprotected?"

Josie frowned, as she couldn't deny the logic. It was just a lot to take in. Being pregnant, moving in with Klaus. It wasn't as though she hadn't thought about moving in with Klaus eventually, but this wasn't exactly how she'd imagined this conversation. 'I want to protect you' and 'you're having my baby' wasn't exactly the romantic gesture she'd dreamed of.

"Okay," was all she said.

Klaus smiled. "We'll move your things tomorrow. I'll have Elijah call the lawyer to transfer the deed."

At her look of confusion, Klaus continued.

"There is but one flaw at the moment with our home- that any vampire can enter. Once the deed is under your name, we can keep unwanted vampires out."

Josie raised an eyebrow. "Like Diana's son, Christopher."

"I killed his father," said Klaus, settling back in his seat. "I've no doubt we'll meet him before this entire affair is over."

Josie leaned into Klaus and linked her hand with his. She watched as the sun set over the horizon, before opening her bag and retrieving her pregnancy book. It was time to face reality... Time to go home.

 **A/N: I hope it made sense that Klaus would want Josie to stay with him, given Diana and everything. I think that Klaus' controlling nature will always be a source of contention for him and Josie and it's something they'll have to work through.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed the action, the Damon/Josie and Josie/Klaus, as well as the Elena/Elijah/Klaus scene- as I said before, it's not just Josie/Klaus that the pregnancy will force some growth on, it's their families as well.**


	74. One of the Pack

**A/N: We'll be jumping through time somewhat this chapter. Given the nature of Diana's arc and the fact that Klaus and company are scouring the globe for her and Silas, it made sense to pass the time a bit.**

 **Also, I've never watched Charmed (it's on my list though- I've heard good things!), so I won't be including any elements from that, unfortunately.**

A few hours later Josie and Klaus were sitting in front of a stunned Jenna and Jeremy.

"Pregnant?" repeated Jenna with a shocked look. "With twins?"

"But I thought..." Jeremy said. "Anna said that vampires can't have kids."

"It's a hybrid loophole," explained Josie.

"You're only 17," said Jenna, still clearly in shock.

Josie sighed. "I know. It was totally unplanned."

"I hope so!" exclaimed Jenna. "Pregnant... I can't... this is..."

"I know," said Josie, nervously. "It's completely crazy..."

Jenna nodded and paused for a second before responding.

"You know that you have options, right?" offered Jenna, looking hesitantly at Klaus.

Josie felt Klaus tense next to her.

"Jenna..." frowned Jeremy.

"It's something to consider," said Jenna, defensively.

"Those are my children you're speaking of!" growled Klaus, standing up.

"How dare you pressure her..." Jenna started, getting up as well.

"Stop!" shouted Josie, pulling on Klaus' arm. "Just stop! I'm not getting an abortion. Okay?" She looked from Jenna to Klaus. "I'm not. And anyway, we don't know if it would even work."

"What?" asked Jeremy, confused.

"The babies have vampire blood," said Klaus, still eyeing Jenna warily. "Original vampire blood. They can heal Josie of any injury."

"He's right," nodded Josie. "An abortion might not work."

Jenna glared at Klaus for a few seconds before she sat back down.

"Fine," sighed Jenna. "But you understand I had to say it."

"Yes," said Josie, pulling Klaus back down. "And I love you for it. But we're keeping them."

Klaus put a protective hand on her knee.

After the pregnancy news, Jenna and Jeremy were suitably appalled when they learned what had happened in New York with Diana and didn't put up much of a fight when Josie told them she'd be staying with Klaus for a while.

"We'll miss you," said Jeremy.

"But your safety is the most important thing," Jenna said begrudgingly, clearly not happy about the whole situation.

Josie smiled, relieved everything was out in the open, even if her family wasn't ecstatic about it.

"You're welcome to come by anytime," said Josie.

Jeremy smiled. "You still have that archery range, right?"

Klaus smirked. "Of course."

o – o – o

"How are you feeling?" asked Klaus as they pulled up to the Mikaelson house later that night.

"A little tired," answered Josie.

"It's not even ten o'clock," chuckled Klaus. "And you slept until noon."

Josie playfully hit him. "Fatigue is a common symptom in the first trimester."

Klaus just smiled. "I've no doubt you'll find my bed comfortable as always."

He flashed around to pin her gently to the car once she'd emerged.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

He lowered his lips to hers. "Just wanted to give you a proper welcome."

Josie eagerly kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him.

He lifted her easily and sped them to his bedroom, where he reminded her just how comfortable his bed was.

o – o – o

"So... how do I look?" Josie asked, twirling around. "I feel a little bloated."

It had been a week since they'd returned from New York and it was Josie's first day of classes at the community college.

"No one will get close enough to notice," said Klaus, tightly.

Josie sighed. It had taken a while, but she had finally convinced him to let her go to class. Albeit with a hybrid escort.

Jeremy, Elena and Jenna had been by a lot and Josie had gone to the Grill to see her friends twice, but spending most of her time on the Mikaelson grounds with Klaus (or Elijah) hovering over her was starting to get old.

"I have to talk to people," said Josie. "Besides, I have this." She pointed to her magical GPS necklace. "And this."

She held up the bracelet Klaus had given her yesterday. It had a red stone that glowed brightly when in the presence of a witch.

"Can't be too careful, love," said Klaus, pulling her into his arms. "Diana is still out there and with your visions..." he trailed off, knowing it was a sensitive subject.

Josie sighed. "I just wish I knew what she did to me. Other than mind-probe me."

"It's possible this was an unintended side effect of her spell," offered Klaus. "And your visions will improve in time."

Josie nodded, leaning her forehead against his. She remembered when she'd hated her visions. The weight of choosing others' fate. Now, she realized how much she'd come to rely on them.

Ever since her encounter with Diana in New York, her visions had been much less frequent. And they weren't the same. They were hazier and less detailed, like they'd been muted.

"Even if they do improve, there's no telling if they'll actually help us," frowned Josie.

Klaus growled. "Diana is proving to be a formidable enemy."

Josie nodded, thinking of the recent visions, such as they were, of Diana. She had taken to speaking in foreign languages, writing things down, using codewords, excessive pronouns, unmarked buildings, etc. all in a clear attempt to thwart Josie's visions.

"Diana knows how my visions work better than anyone," said Josie, glumly. "It's not surprising she can find a way around them."

"And in the meantime, we're flying blind."

"I'm sorry," grimaced Josie. "I hate being useless."

"Now, none of that," scolded Klaus. "You're plenty useful."

Josie huffed. "If you say something about warming your bed, you'll find yourself sleeping on the couch."

Klaus chuckled at her threat, while Josie just looked at him cynically.

"I meant, rather, with the pack."

"Oh?"

Klaus ran his hands down her sides. "I believe they rather enjoy your social engagements. James, in particular, commented on your attention to detail, especially when it comes to respecting werewolf customs."

Josie smiled at that. She'd held a cocktail hour a few times for interested members of the pack, and their spouses. And she'd put on a full moon celebration, where the hybrids could turn if they wanted and roam freely in the woods at the back of the Mikaelson property.

She'd been consulting with James, the werewolf cultural expert, on these and future endeavors, trying to be conscious of werewolf customs. She knew it was important to many of the hybrids that tradition was followed, even if they weren't a conventional pack.

"That was nice of him to say," said Josie.

Klaus looked her seriously. "I know you're not a wolf, but thank you, for embracing this."

Josie smiled at the emotion behind his voice. She could tell he was genuinely grateful.

"Of course," she said, wrapping her arms around him. "I mean we'll have to teach the kids one day, right?"

Klaus smiled. "Of course."

He leaned over and kissed her. He deepened the kiss and pulled her against him, positioning her so she was straddling him.

"Ah, Klaus!" she exclaimed, pulling away after a minute. "I have to go. Class starts in thirty minutes."

Klaus just growled and started kissing her neck.

"Stop trying to distract me!" grumbled Josie, pushing him away. "I'm going."

Klaus groaned, but let her go.

"I have my special jewelry and my protection detail," said Josie, giving him a final kiss. "I'll be fine."

Then she picked up her bag and headed out the door.

"And don't forget," she said, over her shoulder. "My appointment's at 2.30."

o – o – o

"Ms. Gilbert," called the nurse into the waiting room.

Josie smiled as they followed the nurse to a small examination room. She took Josie's vitals, asked her some health history questions and told them the doctor would be in to see them soon. Then she left.

"Is all this necessary?" asked Klaus, eyeing the computer warily that held all of Josie's medical data. "The babies are part vampire, I hardly think they qualify for modern healthcare."

Josie frowned. "It can't hurt. Besides Jenna insisted. So did Elena and Jeremy. Not to mention your family..."

Klaus growled. "I just don't fancy my children's data being stored where anybody can get their hands on it."

Josie rolled her eyes. "Medical data is protected, Klaus. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know it's twins yet."

There was a knock at the door and a middle-aged blonde woman came in.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Gardner. You must be Josie. And Klaus."

They all shook hands before the doctor started talking through how Josie's medical care for the next nine months would go. The appointments, tests, etc. She asked more questions about Josie's symptoms and how she was feeling.

Klaus had to compel the doctor several times, so she would agree that some tests, particularly ones that required a blood sample, wouldn't be necessary. That was something they had agreed upon beforehand- it was just too dangerous.

Finally, the part Josie had been waiting for arrived- the ultrasound

"Are you excited to see your baby?" asked Dr. Gardner, as she led Josie and Klaus towards the ultrasound room.

Josie nodded. "Yes."

"We'll just be doing a quick check today," explained the doctor. "Confirmation of heartbeat as well as measurements to determine gestational age."

She helped Josie get onto the examination table.

"By the end of the exam, we'll know exactly when your baby was conceived and when your due date is."

Josie smiled and lifted her shirt so the doctor could put the gel on. She held Klaus' hand while the doctor turned on the equipment.

They acted shocked when the doctor told them they were having twins and Josie was delighted to see the tiny pulses that showed the beating hearts.

"Everything looks great," said the doctor. "120 and 125 beats per minute. And judging by the measurements, you're 7 weeks, 4 days, which puts your conception at December 4 and due date at August 27. Though keep in mind twins are generally delivered early."

Josie nodded and her eyes widened when she did some quick mental math.

"Something wrong?" he asked as they walked to the car. "You seemed surprised when the good doctor informed you of the due date."

"Not surprised," she said. "If you do the math, based on how long I was back home versus how much time passed here, do you realize when we conceived?"

Klaus looked at her and stopped abruptly. "The night I returned from Atlanta. After Halloween."

Josie nodded. "You remember that night, don't you?"

 _A few days after Halloween_

 _A sudden breeze blew Josie's hair and Klaus appeared by her bedside._

" _Hey," she smiled, looking up from her laptop. "I thought you weren't coming home until tomorrow?"_

 _Klaus sped over to her bedroom door and shut it._

" _Mason was able to track down the witch today," explained Klaus. "Though her information turned out to be useless."_

" _Sorry to hear that."_

" _We will find Esther and Finn," assured Klaus. "Though the witch proved unhelpful, Mason did a spectacular job in hunting her and her coven down."_

 _Josie smiled, glad Klaus' recent decision to make Mason his Beta was turning out well._

" _That's great," said Josie. "I can't hang out tonight though. I have a big paper due tomorrow."_

" _Perfectly fine," answered Klaus. "I've some other business that needs tending to."_

 _He leaned down and kissed her. Gently at first, but soon his kiss turned passionate and Josie pushed him away._

" _I thought we were doing our own thing tonight," she frowned._

 _Klaus just leaned down and kissed her neck. "You smell amazing."_

" _Uh... thanks? I took a shower earlier. Same shampoo as always."_

 _Klaus just continued nuzzling her neck._

" _Are you sure?" he asked. "You smell different... heavenly."_

" _That's great, Klaus," said Josie, confused. "But I really have to..."_

 _Klaus growled and Josie found herself flat on her back with Klaus between her spread legs._

" _I have to have you," he said, leaning down and kissing her again._

 _She tried to protest, but when he ripped her shirt open and started tonguing her nipples, she lost the ability to speak, it seemed._

 _It wasn't long before Klaus' face was between her naked thighs and he was licking her at a furious pace._

" _You taste delicious," he murmured, sucking her clit into his mouth while he fingered her._

 _After making her come around his fingers, he had crawled up her body to nuzzle her neck and fuck her. Again and again. She almost lost count of how many times he'd taken her._

 _She half-heartedly protested, but each time he murmured words of affection in her ear, telling her how much he wanted her, needed her. How he couldn't resist her scent..._

"You don't think," frowned Josie, thoughts returning to the present. "What you were smelling was that I was, you know..."

She trailed off, not sure what to think. She knew it wouldn't have been a conscious decision on Klaus' part, but viewing his aggressive, wolfy behavior of that night, she didn't think it was impossible that his wolf had somehow known it was the right time of month and had acted upon that. Couldn't some animals do that?

Klaus looked shocked, clearly he was thinking that it was absolutely possible, given the way he had acted and felt that night.

"So really," said Josie with a slight giggle. "This is all your fault."

She turned and continued walking to the car, leaving a flabbergasted Klaus standing in the middle of the parking lot.

o – o – o

"What exactly am I looking at?" frowned Rebekah, holding the picture up and tilting her head in confusion.

"They're right there," explained Josie, pointing.

Mason frowned, peering over Rebekah's shoulder.

"They look like blobs," he said.

Josie laughed. "Well I'm only 7 weeks, they're supposed to look like blobs."

"Very cute blobs?" tried Rebekah, handing the ultrasound picture back to Josie.

She and Mason left, leaving Josie standing there, smiling and looking at the picture. Every day it felt more and more real. She was terrified, but so, so happy.

For his part, Klaus seemed to have adapted more quickly than she had. He was more affectionate than usual, more protective and, strangely, more willing to compromise, less prone to anger and violence. When she'd commented on it, he'd shrugged and said something about not wanting to repeat past mistakes. She wondered if he was actively trying to not be like Mikael.

"I heard you have a picture!" came Alice's voice across the foyer.

Alice and James, two of Klaus' hybrids, came zooming up to Josie.

"Here," said Josie, handing the picture over to Alice and James.

"Wow," said Alice, tracing her fingers over the small dots that were Josie and Klaus' babies. "They look so..."

"Like blobs?" offered Josie.

James and Alice laughed.

"Maybe like tadpoles?" mused Alice.

Josie laughed as well. "I'm not sure that's better than blobs."

They talked about how the doctor's appointment went for a while, before the topic turned to the dinner party the next night.

"Everything should be ready," said Alice. "Cocktails, caterers, etc."

"Good, good," said Josie. "Did you call and confirm with both the mayor and the sheriff?"

James nodded. "The Sheriff is bringing one of her deputies, whose list of food requirements is a mile long," he added with a roll of his eyes. "And the mayor is bringing Tyler."

"Tyler?" Josie repeated. "Isn't that a conflict of interest?"

Alice shrugged. "The signing of the treaty should just be a formality. Klaus and Mason have already worked out the details with the humans."

"I thought there were still a few points that needed to be worked out?" asked Josie.

"There's another meeting this afternoon," conceded James. "But Klaus is confident it should be finalized by tomorrow night."

"The mayor and sheriff should be arriving soon," said Alice, looking at her watch. "Which reminds me, Klaus requested you join him."

Josie was confused. "For the meeting?"

James nodded. "He's in his office."

Josie said good-bye to James and Alice before making her way to Klaus' office. She knocked and opened the door to see Klaus behind his desk, on the phone.

He smiled at her and motioned for her to come in while he finished up his call, which was obviously from one of his contacts who were trying to find Diana and Silas.

"Any luck?" asked Josie, when he hung up.

Klaus growled. "Not yet."

"We'll find them," she said, reassuringly. "Anyway, James said you wanted me at this meeting?"

"Yes," answered Klaus. "I've been thinking about what you said the other day. About being included more in official pack business."

Josie nodded. She remembered Klaus hadn't been super keen on the idea, probably because he thought he was protecting her or something. But it was clear from the questions/comments she got from various members of the pack at their social functions that the expectation was she was more involved than she currently was. She was tired of muddling through those conversations.

"Thank you," she said.

Klaus nodded. "I am trying, my love."

o – o – o

Ten minutes later, Josie and Klaus were seated at a meeting table with Sheriff Forbes and Carol Lockwood.

"As you all know," Klaus began. "We've nearly finalized the treaty. Just a few points to discuss concerning future growth."

Sheriff Forbes nodded. "We agree that any supernatural beings currently residing in Mystic Falls would be grandfathered into the town, but I don't think all future supernatural beings should be prohibited, except for hybrids."

"You understand I can't have a coven of witches moving in," said Klaus, raising an eyebrow. "Or another group of vampires. Future prohibitions will ensure our community is peaceful."

"What if my daughter wants to bring a vampire friend to town?" asked Sheriff Forbes. "Or one of Bonnie's relatives come to stay?"

"We can make a provision for temporary guests," conceded Klaus. "Within reason of course."

"I think the point Liz is trying to make," began Carol, diplomatically. "Is that a total ban on future residents seems too restrictive. There should be some leeway for the town to expand."

"How much leeway?" asked Klaus, eyes narrowed.

He clearly didn't want anyone coming into town that didn't belong to his pack.

"It would be on a case-by-case basis," answered Carol.

Klaus tilted his head. "As long as the final decision rests with me."

"You can't be the sole arbitrator of who gets to live in Mystic Falls," said the Sheriff, getting a little heated.

"For the supernatural, that is exactly what I can be," argued Klaus, his own tone rising. "I don't intend to dictate what humans may reside here."

"We don't either," the Sheriff argued back. "We have no control over who moves to Mystic Falls."

"And I should mimic your shortcomings?" asked Klaus heatedly. "The human community is not my concern."

"Let's just all calm down," said Carol in an even tone. "I think we can all agree that the human community and the supernatural community will be run differently. Our focus should be on where the two intersect."

Josie smiled. Carol really was a good politician. Sheriff Forbes and Klaus, on the other hand...

"She's right," said Josie, trying to help. "Maybe you it's best to just leave this topic out of the treaty? And each community determines future growth in their own way?"

"Future growth affects us all," said Sheriff Forbes, shaking her head. "You haven't been in these conversations, you're too young to..."

Klaus growled and cut her off. "Josie is vital member of my organization and you will show her the same respect you would show me."

Sheriff Forbes looked a little embarrassed. It was clear she was just getting flustered. Josie couldn't blame her. Klaus was not easy to negotiate with.

"It's fine," said Josie, putting a hand on Klaus' arm. "I know I haven't been in these conversations, but I've read the treaty. And it's pretty specific on a lot of points... Why not do the same for this?"

Carol smiled. "That's an idea. Why don't we take each community in turn?"

Klaus smiled back and squeezed Josie's knee. It took a few hours, but by the end of the meeting, they had all agreed on the specific rules for each supernatural species, as well as human, in regards to future growth.

"That was exhausting," said Josie, when Sheriff Forbes and Carol had gone.

"It's not easy being Alpha," agreed Klaus. He smiled at her. "You did well."

"Thanks. And thanks for including me."

Klaus smirked. "Shall we celebrate the brokering of peace properly?"

Josie just laughed as he scooped her up and carried her upstairs.

o – o – o

Damon blinked against the morning sun.

"Son?" came a voice from above. "Son, are you okay? It's awfully cold to be sleeping out here."

Damon shot up. "Where am I?"

"Central Park," said the man who'd awakened him. "It's a miracle you didn't die of exposure. New York in February is no joke."

Damon looked around, confused. What had happened?

"Should I call an ambulance?" asked the man, looking at Damon with concern.

"I'm fine," said Damon, quickly.

"Are you sure? Maybe I should call..."

Damon grasped the man's shoulders and compelled him to forget he'd ever seen Damon.

Damon ran a hand through his hair, looking around. Ever since he'd been captured by that redhead witch, Amy, he hadn't felt like himself.

He pulled out his phone and quickly dialed Josie's number. Thankfully she picked up, albeit on the fourth ring.

"It's six in the morning, Damon," grumbled Josie. "This better not be a drunk dial."

"Good morning to you too," replied Damon. "You know you're glad to hear my voice."

"Considering it's been a month since I've seen you... when are you and Stefan coming home?"

"Blame Enzo. After 70 years in a cage, he's quite the party animal."

Josie raised an eyebrow. "And let me guess, Stefan is sticking around to make sure you don't go too far off the deep end with Enzo?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "And Katherine is staying because Stefan is."

"One big happy family then," laughed Josie.

"I think Lexi's starting to regret inviting you up for New Year's."

"Well I left," defended Josie. "It's not my fault my entourage decided to stay."

"Oh no, honey. I'm no one's entourage. I am the original diva. I taught Cher how to hair flip."

Josie laughed. "Damon, please tell me you didn't wake me up at six in the morning to talk about Cher."

"No," he admitted, tone turning serious. "I called because I just woke up on a park bench with no memory of how I got there."

"What?" asked Josie, alarmed.

"It's happened a few times since Diana and Amy messed with my head."

Josie sighed. "What did she do to us?"

"Same thing happening to you?"

"No, but my visions are on the fritz. They're not coming as often and they're all blurry and vague. I'd hoped with more time... but it's been a month."

"What does Klaus think?" asked Damon, even though he hated the idea of asking Klaus for help.

"He's reached out to a few witches, but they can't tell us much. A broken Oracle isn't exactly a common problem." She paused. "I can ask him if he knows anything about what's happening to you."

"It's fine. I'll ask someone here. Lexi knows a witch I think."

"Okay," said Josie. "I'm sure we'll figure it out. Whatever they did to us."

Damon nodded. "Enough of the doom and gloom talk... how's Smalltown U.S.A.? How are little Damon and Damiana doing?"

Josie laughed. She really did miss Damon.

"Damiana?" she repeated. "That's not a name."

"Everything's a name these days," said Damon, dismissively.

"Touche... But I'm fine, everyone's fine. I'll be 11 weeks tomorrow, so almost 3 months. Morning sickness is nearly gone. There's been no sign of Diana or Silas."

They talked for a while longer, until Josie had to get ready for class. She quietly opened the door to Klaus' bedroom. She'd taken her call outside, not wanting to disturb Klaus.

He was awake when she entered.

"And how much of that did you hear?" asked Josie, slipping off her robe.

"Believe it or not, love, I don't typically use my hearing to eavesdrop on your conversations."

Josie cocked her head. "Even with Damon?"

"I think both the Salvatores have learnt their lesson in meddling in my affairs."

"So you're saying the fact that I'm friends with Damon doesn't bother you?"

Klaus growled and pulled her against him. "As long as he knows his place."

Josie rolled her eyes. "And the fact that I'm going to be walking down the aisle with him doesn't bother you?"

"You're what?" growled Klaus.

Josie had to suppress a laugh. "I guess you weren't listening... Damon told me Alaric asked him to be his best man. And since Elena and I are co-maids-of-honor and Elena and Damon are at a super awkward phase..."

Klaus clenched his jaw, clearly not pleased.

"Oh, don't get all wolfy and jealous," said Josie, shaking her head. "It's like 30 seconds of walking. Or waddling. Depending on when they decide to get married."

She frowned, wondering when Jenna and Alaric were going to pick a date. Jenna had wanted it to be in the spring, but the more she realized what went into planning a wedding, the more she kept pushing the date out.

"Which reminds me," said Josie. "Next weekend we're going wedding dress and bridesmaid dress shopping. So you might want to tell Mason."

Klaus frowned, not understanding. "Why would Mason care?"

"We're going to be dress shopping all day, so maybe having a few hybrids that are actually interested in that to follow me around?"

"Ah, yes," said Klaus, picking up his phone. "Don't want a mutiny on our hands."

o – o – o

"I don't know about this one," frowned Jenna, twirling to look at herself in the mirror.

Elena sipped her champagne. "It's a lot of poof."

"It's a wedding dress," said Josie. "Isn't it supposed to poof?"

It was a week later and Elena, Jenna and Josie were at one of the local bridal stores, along with a few of Klaus' hybrids.

"According to this website, ball gown is flattering for brides with a slim waist," chimed in Alice. "But if you want something similar with less fullness, we can ask for an A-line."

Jenna smiled, still a little unsure about having Klaus' hybrids following them around everywhere, but it was clear she knew Alice was trying.

"A-line it is," said Jenna, turning back towards the dressing room. "Someone unzip me?"

Elena got up and helped her.

"So what are you doing tonight?" asked Josie, when Elena had returned to sit next to her.

Elena shrugged. "Nothing. Why?"

"I was thinking of having a poker night," said Josie. "Jeremy and Anna are in. Rebekah too."

"And Rebekah's okay with me coming?"

Josie nodded. "Yeah. She's willing to let the whole frenemies thing go if you are."

Elena smiled. "I do. The Original family is always going to be connected to ours." She looked down at Josie's stomach. "I want to put the past behind us."

Josie smiled. "Good. So that's four, we should get at least one more."

Josie's eyes slid to Alice.

"Don't look at me," said Alice, shaking her head. "Klaus and Mason are having us do some nighttime training tonight."

"Oh right," said Josie, remembering. "Like Capture the Flag or something."

Alice laughed. "Or something."

"What about Elijah?" asked Josie, eyebrows raised at Elena.

"Why are you looking at me?" asked Elena. "Elijah and I are just friends. Seriously. I have a moratorium on dating right now."

Josie laughed. "Whatever you say. I'm still inviting him to..."

Josie didn't get to finish her sentence as she was hit with a vision. Like her visions lately, the image was slightly blurred, the sound muted and the sequence of events hard to determine.

She saw Diana, it looked like she was chanting, but it was hard to tell without sound. Amy, the redhead witch, was standing next to her, eyes closed in concentration. The picture jumped and she saw a man gasping for air, as if he'd been brought back to life. The image was blurry, but Josie recognized him, his features were fairly prominent and the fact that he was being resurrected was a dead giveaway.

"What is it?" asked Elena.

"Oh my god!" exclaimed Josie.

It suddenly all made sense. Damon losing time, the 'others' Diana and Amy had been referring to when they said Damon had connections...

"Fuck!"

Josie pulled out her phone and quickly dialed Stefan's number.

"Jo, what's going on?" asked Elena, but Josie just held up her hand.

"Stefan!" she fairly screeched into the phone when he answered. "Stefan, you have to listen to me. You and Katherine are in danger. You need to get her and get back to Mystic Falls immediately."

"Katherine?" Stefan repeated. "I haven't seen Katherine in days. She disappeared like a week ago."

Josie's heart dropped. A week ago- when Damon had woken up on a park bench with no memory of how he got there.

Josie tried to stay calm. "Listen, Amy is a Traveler. It's a special kind of witch. The spell she did put a Passenger inside Damon. The Passenger can take control of his body, he must have taken Katherine. You have to come back to Mystic Falls now. The Travelers want the doppelgangers..."

There was a loud snap and a thump.

"Stefan?" cried Josie. "Stefan, are you there?"

"I'm sorry," came Damon's voice that carried a strange accent. "Stefan can't come to the phone right now."

"Who is this?" asked Josie, trying to keep calm.

"Just a messenger," said the Traveler. "Diana sends her best."

He hung up the phone and Josie could barely breathe.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" asked Alice.

Josie just shook her head. "We have a big problem. This whole time, we've been looking for the wrong thing."

o – o – o

It took less than an hour to get the relevant parties assembled at the Mikaelson house- Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, Mason, Elena and Josie.

They all listened as Josie told them everything she could remember about the Travelers. How they were witches, but had a curse place on them to prevent them from doing 'normal' magic and from gathering in large numbers. That the way to break their curse was to unite the blood of the last remaining doppelgangers.

"And why do we care?" asked Rebekah. "If these Travelers want to break some curse?"

"Other than the fact that they want to kill all but two doppelgangers?" asked Josie.

"No one's going to cry over Katerina's death," said Rebekah, rolling her eyes.

Josie sighed. "Their goal is wipe out any non-Traveler magic... including the spell that made you vampires."

Mason looked confused. "But without that spell..."

"We are simply dead," concluded Elijah.

Everyone was silent for a second as they recognized that yet again, someone was trying to wipe vampires off the face of the earth.

"But Diana's son is a vampire," frowned Elena. "Won't he die too?"

Josie shrugged. "Maybe she doesn't know?"

It was odd, Diana's alliance with them.

"There is still something I do not understand. Why did they seek the cure?" asked Elijah.

"They need all but two doppelgangers dead, including the original immortals- Amara and Silas. Amara they've had in their possession since she died. Most likely they have Silas. And now Katherine and Stefan."

Klaus looked thoughtful. "As long as Elena is alive and they don't have her blood, they cannot complete the spell."

"Fine, but what are we going to do?" asked Rebekah. "We have no idea where they are."

"Ah, dear sister," came a voice from a nearby open window. "That is something we can help you with."

"Kol!" exclaimed Rebekah. "What are you doing here?"

"Sweeping in to save the day, just when all hope is lost," he smirked. "Per usual."

Klaus frowned, but everyone else was incredibly happy to see Kol.

"Who's that?" asked Elena, peering into the shadows next to Kol.

"Ah, yes," said Kol. "A defector, if you will."

The person next to Kol moved forward and Josie gasped in surprise at who it was.

"Nadia Petrova..." Josie breathed.

"Well, now that you've been introduced," said Kol. "Who do I have to seduce to get an invite?"

 **A/N: Did anyone suspect? The Travelers weren't my favorite villains, but I thought I should address them, given Silas made an appearance. Plus, I wanted Nadia to come, at least for a bit.**

 **Josie/Klaus, the hybrids, the pregnancy- as always, let me know what you think!**


	75. The Rescue (Part One)

**A/N: Though I'm bringing in the Travelers, Luke and Liv won't be in this arc. I considered it, but there are so many players already (Originals, Mystic Falls gang, Lexi, Kat, Enzo), that adding another two characters would be too much and I wouldn't be able to spend the time I wanted to on them. I have an idea for how I would maybe bring them in later though, we'll see.**

 **For hybrids being able to have children like Klaus, I'm not sure. As you can probably tell, I like werewolves as a species. I like that they have a culture, that they exist in packs, etc. I thought it was sad that Klaus spent a thousand years trying to unlock his werewolf side and when he finally did, they had him pretty much ignore it...**

 **And finally, fair warning this chapter and the next are pretty action-heavy, with a lot going on and changing. If this were a TV show, next chapter would be the season finale (you know where the main action is wrapped up, but the fallout from what happened will be felt going forward).**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

"Nadia Petrova?" repeated Rebekah. "Are you...?"

"Katherine's daughter," supplied Josie. "But why are you here? Katherine's not here. She's with the Travelers. You're a Traveler."

Josie felt Klaus tense beside her.

Nadia looked a little taken aback by Josie's statement, but Kol just said, "That's Josie."

"Right, the Oracle," said Nadia.

"Answer the question," Klaus ground out. "Why are you here?"

"I need your help," said Nadia, somewhat bitterly. "My mother is too well-guarded. I can't release her."

"Traveler security is kind of lax if I remember correctly," frowned Josie.

Hadn't Stefan and Elena escaped from them?

"Ever since that witch Diana came, things have been different," said Nadia with a heated tone. "Being a target of the Original Family motivated my people to be more cautious."

"All will be explained," said Kol, pushing on the invisible barrier preventing him and Nadia from entering the Mikaelson house. "An invite, please."

Josie opened her mouth to invite them in, but Klaus stopped her.

"And how can we be sure that you are you, Kol?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

Josie sighed at his hostility, even if Klaus had a point. Kol or Nadia could both have a passenger in them. So could anyone else, for that matter.

"Because I have this," said Nadia, holding up the passenger-killing knife.

"A knife?" frowned Rebekah. "What the bloody hell is that for?"

"It kills passengers," said Josie. "I recognize it. If you stab someone who has a passenger inside them, it will kill the passenger and leave the host unaffected."

"She's right," said Nadia.

Then she plunged the knife into Kol's chest.

"Thanks," said Kol, grimacing a bit.

"Men are such babies," said Nadia, taking the knife and stabbing her own chest. "Satisfied?"

Josie looked at Klaus, who still looked skeptical.

"I'm not sure what other choice we have, Niklaus," said Elijah. "Without a clue as to where Stefan and Katerina are being held."

Klaus clenched his jaw and moved to stand in front of Kol.

"Don't forget," warned Klaus. "I still have a dagger with your name on it."

"Nik!" exclaimed Rebekah.

"Seriously, Klaus," said Josie, shaking her head. "He's your brother... Kol, Nadia, would you like to come in?"

Kol smiled and he and Nadia flashed into the house.

"Much better," said Kol. "Now, your turn."

Josie winced as Nadia stabbed Klaus, Rebekah, Mason and Elijah in turn. She moved to Elena and both Elijah and Klaus tensed.

"It's okay," said Elena, stepping forward. "It's important."

She clenched her teeth as Nadia stabbed her in the shoulder.

"Here, my dear," said Elijah, biting his wrist and letting her take a few sips.

"I don't want to hear it," said Josie, before Klaus could say anything. "I don't want to play host to some witch."

She stepped forward. "Wait. I like this shirt."

She took off her sweater so she was just in her tank top. She nodded at Nadia and gritted her teeth when she felt the blade slide into her shoulder, even as the wound immediately began sealing itself.

Nadia frowned when she saw the wound healing. "You are not a vampire."

"I have vampire blood in my system," said Josie, not elaborating.

"Now that we're sure we don't have any uninvited guests," said Klaus, wanting to move on from the topic of Josie's ability to heal. "Where are Stefan and Katerina?"

"Upstate New York," answered Kol. "I was looking for news of Silas, when I came across a group of vampires that heard about a witch doing an odd form of magic. Nadia caught me poking around their camp, but I managed to compel her and realized we have a common interest."

"Camp?" echoed Mason.

"The Travelers never stay in one place for long," said Nadia. "Kol and I left this morning. They'll break camp tomorrow at dawn."

"Then we must hurry," said Elijah.

"Wait," said Josie. "Is Markos back? Is Finn still the cure? What about Amara and Silas? Are they alive?"

"Markos is still on the Other Side," said Nadia. "Amara and Silas are alive, but desiccated. They can't kill Amara, she's the anchor, until they've resurrected Markos."

"The cure still resides in our brother," said Kol. "But not for long. Once Markos returns, they plan to use the cure to eliminate the immortals. They're draining Katherine and Stefan as we speak."

"So what's the plan?" asked Rebekah. "Kill Diana, save our brother, the Salvatores and Katerina, capture Silas and Amara?"

"Works for me," shrugged Mason.

"Our best bet is to hide Amara and Silas," said Josie. "The Travelers couldn't break their curse for two thousand years because they didn't know where Silas was. Or the other doppelgangers."

Klaus nodded. "Once we have them, we can ensure they stay lost for another few millennia. Then vampires will be safe and the doppelgangers need not fear for their lives."

"Let's go, then," said Rebekah. "I'm always in the mood to kill some evil witches."

"You don't understand," said Nadia, shaking her head. "The Travelers have sent their best people to the camp. They're trying to break the curse that was placed on them for two thousand years. They're not taking any chances."

"Shouldn't be too difficult," said Klaus, confidently.

"Right," said Nadia, sarcastically. "All you need is an army."

Klaus just smirked. "Lucky for you, I happen to have one."

o – o – o

"What about James?" asked Mason. "He's one of our best fighters."

"He stays," said Klaus, shaking his head.

"You're going to need your best fighters to beat the Travelers," argued Nadia.

"I have assets here that need to be protected," Klaus said, curtly. "By your own admission Elena must be kept alive to prevent Stefan and Katerina from being the last two doppelgangers."

Nadia frowned. "The Travelers don't know she's here."

"A dozen hybrids are staying behind," snarled Klaus. "That's not up for negotiation."

"One of us ought to stay as well," said Kol. He smirked. "I volunteer Elijah."

"I do believe we had this discussion before your little trip to Nova Scotia," said Elijah. "I'm afraid it's your turn to... babysit, as you put it."

Elena and Josie frowned, knowing Elijah was referring to them.

"That's right," Rebekah chimed in. "I'm not staying behind this time either."

She leaned closer to Mason and glared at Klaus, defying him to say something. Klaus clenched his jaw, but didn't say anything, silently agreeing.

"Fine," grumbled Kol, seeing Klaus wasn't going object to Rebekah's involvement.

"I think that's it, then," said Mason. "I'll need time to gather the pack and test them with the blade. We'll leave in an hour."

o – o – o

Josie knocked on the door to Elijah's room.

"Enter," came the call from inside.

She opened the door. "Hey."

"Josie, my dear," said Elijah, pausing in his actions. "Is everything alright?"

Josie smiled. "Yeah. I just wanted to say good-bye. And good luck."

Elijah returned her smile. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Josie nodded, biting her lip.

"Was there something else?" Elijah asked, noticing her worried expression.

"I don't know," said Josie. "I just... I have a bad feeling about this."

"What's wrong?" Elijah asked, coming to stand in front of her. "Did you have a vision?"

"No." She shook her head. "Nothing like that. It's just Diana and the Travelers teaming up. It doesn't make sense. They hate witches."

Elijah tilted his head. "Do not forget that Diana was cast out of her coven. She has no love for traditional magic, much like these Travelers you describe."

Josie nodded. "I guess maybe I'm afraid of what her ultimate goal is. In New York, when she was in my head... I could feel how much she wanted the cure. I think, maybe..."

Elijah sighed. "You think her goal is to use it on Niklaus."

"He killed her husband," said Josie. "To get me back. She wants revenge. I think she would have killed me in New York, if they hadn't wanted the cure first."

"We would never let that happen," said Elijah, seriously.

Josie nodded. "And what about Klaus? And you?" She tried to blink back tears. "Elijah, I can't do this alone."

"Everything's going to be fine," said Elijah, pulling her into a hug. "I promise you, we will return."

Josie just closed her eyes and let the comforting warmth of his arms surround her.

o – o – o

"Are you sure about this?" asked Lexi, twirling her car keys around her finger.

"Damon's my best friend," said Enzo. "My only friend, really."

"Is that supposed to shock me?" asked Lexi, opening the car door and getting in.

Enzo frowned as he got into the passenger side. "I've spent the last 70 years in a cage, sweetheart. When was I supposed to make friends?"

Lexi rolled her eyes. "At some point you need to stop blaming Augustine and live your life."

Enzo cocked an eyebrow. "I thought I was."

"How long are you going to drown in blood and booze before you realize there's a lot more to life?" she asked.

Enzo looked away, out the passenger side window, at the city streets rolling past.

"Was there anyone before that time?" asked Lexi. "Anyone who... meant something?"

Enzo nodded. "There was."

"Any hope of finding them?" asked Lexi, not accustomed to Enzo being silent.

"Perhaps," said Enzo, thoughtfully. "Perhaps when this mess is sorted, I'll have to see if I can find her."

o – o – o

Josie was in the kitchen, getting something to eat, when Klaus walked in.

"Hey," she said, trying for a smile.

"We're leaving," he said.

"So soon?" she asked, putting the bread down and rushing over to him.

"Mason was able to gather the hybrids more quickly than anticipated," he said, pulling her into his embrace.

"Be careful," she said, face buried in his chest.

He pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"Elijah told me of your concerns," he said. "You need not worry for me."

Josie sighed. "Something doesn't feel right. You don't think it could be a trap?"

"It most likely is. Even if Nadia speaks the truth, the Travelers are no doubt aware she is missing."

"So why go?" asked Josie.

"This may be our only chance to recover the immortals and the cure," said Klaus, seriously. "We cannot waste this opportunity. The Travelers' true goal is to eliminate all magic, including that which keeps us alive. I have to protect my family, the pack, our children."

"You think..." Josie trailed off, putting a hand on her stomach.

"It's unclear what would happen if this anti-magic spell comes to fruition," said Klaus, placing his hand on hers. "If it would affect them or not. I will not take that risk."

Josie nodded. "Please, just... be careful." She sighed. "I hate that I'm not going. I want to be with you."

Klaus frowned. "I sincerely hope this isn't an attempt to persuade me to let you accompany us."

Josie chuckled. "No. I think I should probably sit this one out."

"Good," he said, cupping her face. "I will return. You have my word."

Josie nodded and pressed her lips to his.

"I love you," she whispered.

Klaus smiled. "I never tire of hearing you say that, my love."

Mason came in at that moment.

"Everybody's ready to go," said Mason.

Klaus nodded and Josie followed him and Mason out to the foyer.

He kissed her one last time before wishing her good-bye and departing. Josie, Elena and Kol watched as the caravan of cars pulled away.

o – o – o

Klaus frowned as he looked at his phone.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Elijah, who was driving.

Klaus shook his head. "Just a text from Josie. Asking for yet another update."

"She worries for the success of the mission," said Elijah. "I attempted to reassure her..."

"As did I, Brother." Klaus sighed. "Perhaps one of us should have stayed behind."

Elijah looked over at Klaus. "We are strongest together."

"I hate to worry her," said Klaus. "And she is not wrong. The cure is a danger. To all of us."

"What did Bonnie say?" asked Elijah.

Klaus had consulted her about how the cure might affect his unborn children.

"Nothing useful," answered Klaus in an annoyed tone. "I dare not ask another. Bonnie's loyalties are clear, but we all agreed this pregnancy was to be kept secret."

"Then it's best we get to Finn before it can be used against us," said Elijah. "We must hide him again."

"And how can we be sure he will not be found?" questioned Klaus.

"Diana's methods can hardly be replicated," said Elijah, shaking his head. He paused. "There's been no improvement in Josie's visions?"

Klaus shook his head. "No. One witch from an Austin coven that Mason spoke to suggested a cleansing ritual."

"And yet you have not tried it?" frowned Elijah.

"It involves flushing the entire body of impurities. I deemed it too risky."

Elijah smiled. "The great and powerful Klaus... Deliberately forgoing his greatest advantage over his enemies..."

Klaus clenched his jaw. "Is it so surprising I would have an interest in my own flesh and blood?"

"This isn't just about the children," said Elijah. "Josie told me of the offer you made her last year. To turn her, to save her from the responsibility of her visions."

"It was a foolish offer," said Klaus. "Given what we know."

Diana had informed Josie that the visions were not dependent on her being human.

"Perhaps," said Elijah. "Yet, outside of our family, I have never known you to put others before yourself. And even then..."

Klaus didn't answer and they fell into silence again.

Klaus' phone buzzed a while later and he opened a text from Alice. It had a link which he followed to a picture of a diamond ring.

"Is there something you would like to share?" inquired Elijah, glancing at Klaus' screen.

"Eyes on the road, Brother," snapped Klaus, turning off his screen.

"Niklaus..."

"It's nothing," said Klaus, sharply. "It's the bloody pack. They've got it into their heads that we ought to jump the broom."

Elijah chuckled. "Marriage is quite the commitment. Especially for an immortal."

Klaus frowned. "You believe I'm not committed?"

"That I cannot judge... Tell me, what does the potential bride have to say?"

"Marriage as an institution appeals to her," said Klaus, thinking on their previous conversation.

"Meaning you have not spoken about it," said Elijah, smiling slightly.

Klaus glared at Elijah. "There is an alternative I've considered."

Elijah raised an eyebrow.

"A ceremony that would formalize her position within the pack," said Klaus.

"As your mate?"

Klaus tilted his head. "Yes. More involvement in day-to-day affairs, authority to make some decisions, and most importantly, security if anything were to happen to me. A place within the pack until one of my children could assume the role of Alpha."

"Seems prudent," said Elijah. "Tell me, does this... ceremony require a ring?"

Klaus smiled slightly. "It can."

o – o – o

"So," said Josie. "Movie?"

Elena shrugged. "Since we're all stuck here."

"There are worse places to be stuck," said Josie.

Elena looked around the Mikaelson house and smiled. "Guess you're right."

"You guys pick out the movie," said Josie, nudging Elena and Kol in the direction of the TV room. "I'll make some popcorn."

Josie was standing beside the microwave, watching the popcorn pop when Kol walked into the kitchen.

"Elena wanted something to drink," said Kol.

Josie smiled. "There's some Diet Coke in the fridge."

Kol opened one of the fridges and frowned when he saw a bunch of blood bags.

Josie chuckled. "You haven't been away that long. You know that one's for blood."

"I'm hungry too," he said, grabbing a blood bag.

"Hey," she said. "I wanted to thank you for staying here. I know you'd rather be in the middle of the fight."

"I do enjoy a good massacre," he smirked. "I'll just have to live vicariously through Klaus."

Josie nodded. "Yeah."

"How are you feeling?" asked Kol. "Rebekah told me."

He looked pointedly at her stomach.

"I'm fine," said Josie. "Three months now. Everything looks good, according to the doctor."

"And how are you?"

"Also fine. My classes are going well and Klaus and I are good and..." she trailed off, unsure what to say.

Things had been going well. She was starting to adjust to living in the Mikaelson house, living with Klaus. There were a bunch of extra rooms and she'd commandeered one as a workspace where she could do her homework and relax by herself if she wanted.

Klaus had picked out a room close to theirs for the nursery and had made sure the kitchen was stocked with all her favorite foods. He'd even converted one of the rooms on the lower level to an exercise room where she could work out without having to go outside in the cold weather.

"Do I sense some hesitation?" asked Kol.

Josie shrugged. "I miss home. Like home, home. My family, my mom especially. I guess I always thought that when I started a family of my own, she would be there."

"You can go back," said Kol, looking at her seriously.

"You mean the watch?" asked Josie.

Kol nodded. "You can't tell me you haven't thought about it. You still have it?"

Josie nodded. "It's in my nightstand, but I could never do that to Klaus... Or them." She put a hand on her stomach. "My dad was... fairly absent. I don't want that for my kids."

"And you think he'll make a good father?" asked Kol.

"Yes," she said, without hesitation. "I know he will."

She thought of how good he had been to Hope and had no doubts about their children.

"He's stuck around so far, I suppose," said Kol.

Josie frowned. "He would never abandon our children. I've seen it."

Kol chuckled. "Not passing judgment. He's not exactly the nurturing type."

"Neither am I," said Josie, feeling a little defensive. "If anything, he's accepted it more than I have." She paused. "I wonder if it's the pack. They're so... excited. Talking about their magical, miracle, alpha-bloodline pups."

"Klaus is the type of person that would covet an heir," said Kol. "For his kingdom."

"You don't give him enough credit," said Josie, getting a little angry.

"Perhaps you give him too much," Kol responded.

Josie scoffed. "No love lost, huh?"

Kol frowned. "I'm sorry, I..."

"It doesn't matter," said Josie, grabbing the bowl of popcorn. "Let's just go watch the movie."

o – o – o

Josie, Elena, and Kol had just settled down to watch the movie when the doorbell rang. Kol shot up while Josie and Elena followed him to the front door.

Josie smiled when she saw Jeremy and Alaric standing there.

"Heard you were watching a movie?" said Jeremy, smiling. "Welcome back to Mystic Falls, Kol."

"Thanks," answered Kol. "I voted for The Shining, but was overruled."

Josie just looked at Elena and smiled.

"So what are we watching?" asked Jeremy.

"Tangled," said Elena.

"A cartoon?" frowned Jeremy.

"It's good," said Josie, defensively. "It's Disney! I'll let you order whatever you want on the pizza."

Jeremy smiled. "Deal." He turned to Alaric. "Thanks for the ride."

"You're not staying?" asked Josie.

Alaric shook his head. "I have to get back to Jenna."

"How is she?" asked Josie, knowing Jenna had been a little freaked out about what happened at the bridal shop.

Alaric sighed. "She'll be fine. It's not every day you see your niece seize up and have a vision of an evil witch rising from the dead."

"Jenna's strong, she can handle it," said Jeremy, confidently. He pulled out his phone. "I'm starving. You guys want the usual?"

Josie nodded and Elena, Kol and Jeremy walked back towards the living room, bickering about how many pizzas to order and what should be on them.

"How is she?" Josie asked Alaric, now that they were alone. "Really? I felt bad about ruining her shopping trip."

"She understands," said Alaric. "She loves you. All of you. You have to understand, she's your legal guardian. She feels responsible for your well-being, but there's not a lot she can do right now to keep you safe and happy."

Josie frowned. "None of this is her fault. She knows that right?"

"It's not just this Traveler situation or Diana," said Alaric, hesitantly. "It's..."

"The pregnancy," finished Josie, sighing. "She thinks she failed as a guardian because I'm pregnant? That's ridiculous. What could she have done? It's not like she gave Klaus a stamp of approval."

"None of us did," said Alaric in an annoyed voice. "The fact that he's the father of your children doesn't make this any easier."

Josie sighed. She and Alaric had never really talked about her pregnancy. He had heard secondhand from Jenna and had been curiously silent about it.

Josie knew he didn't approve of Klaus, or his family, except maybe Elijah, so the fact that now she and Klaus were forever linked didn't sit well with him. Which wasn't surprising- Alaric was best friends with Damon, who had the same opinion.

"Klaus is going to be a great father," said Josie, annoyed this was the second time she'd had to defend him tonight.

"Just know that your family will always support you," said Alaric, putting his hands on her shoulders. "No matter what happens. And we're family now, Josie." He smiled. "Or we will be soon."

Josie smiled back, appreciating the sentiment, even though she knew it was because he didn't like or trust Klaus.

"Any idea on how soon?" she asked, changing the subject to Jenna's inability to pick a wedding date.

Alaric sighed. "Ask your aunt."

Josie laughed slightly. "Have a good night, Ric."

o – o – o

"Wasn't that good?" asked Josie, smiling as the credits to Tangled rolled.

"It was alright," shrugged Jeremy, finishing up his piece of pizza. "Is there any more Coke?"

"I'll show you where the kitchen is," said Josie, getting off the couch. "Why don't you guys pick out the next movie?" she asked Kol and Elena.

"The Shining, obviously," said Kol, smirking.

"No horror movies!" exclaimed Josie. "I can't..."

She looked at her phone for the hundredth time that night, knowing it was ridiculous because Klaus was still on the way to the Traveler camp, but still hoping for some speck of news.

"Alright," said Kol. "But I refuse to watch another romantic comedy."

"Action?" mused Elena.

Everyone nodded and Josie started walking towards the kitchen with Jeremy.

"So how's everything been?" asked Jeremy.

Josie laughed. "I saw you like two days ago. Other than this crazy Diana-working-with-the-Travelers thing, nothing much has happened."

Jeremy smiled. "Two days can be a long time in Mystic Falls."

"Touché," said Josie, opening the fridge with the Coke.

"This place is insane," said Jeremy, looking around the kitchen. "Why do you need two fridges?"

"A lot of people live here," shrugged Josie. "Plus this way, the blood bags don't have to share shelf space with the produce. 'Cause ick, you know?"

Jeremy's face fell. "Still not digging the whole vampire thing, huh?"

Josie frowned. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant drinking blood sounds gross. For a human."

Jeremy just nodded.

"Are you..." Josie paused, not sure if she should bring it up. "Are you planning on turning?"

It was something she and Jeremy had discussed a while ago, but he hadn't said anything since.

"Anna and I have been together for more than a year," said Jeremy. "I love her, I've never felt this way about anyone. I'm already a year older than she was when she turned."

"So is that a yes?" asked Josie.

"I think so," said Jeremy. "I've been thinking about it a lot lately."

"But you're only 17, Jer."

"You're the same age and you're pregnant," said Jeremy.

"Technically 19," said Josie. "20 if you count the year I lived here to my total life experience, and... it was an accident."

"So you would take it back if you could?" asked Jeremy.

"What? No," said Josie, placing a hand over her stomach. "I mean... Yeah, I guess I wouldn't." She smiled, almost to herself. "Huh, I didn't think I'd have that reaction."

Jeremy just smiled.

"Look, I love you," she said. "And I will support you no matter what."

"Thank you," said Jeremy.

"What does Anna think?" asked Josie.

"She says it's my decision," said Jeremy. "But she wants to be with me forever."

Josie nodded. "We should probably get back. Kol and Elena are going to wonder if we went to a store to get the Coke."

o – o – o

"Star Trek?" asked Josie, raising an eyebrow. "Elena you don't even like sci-fi."

Elena shrugged. "Kol says it's good. Besides the guy who plays the captain is cute."

"You like sci-fi?" Jeremy asked Kol.

"I like to think one day we'll travel to the stars," said Kol, shrugging. "Being immortal, I hope to see it."

"All those hot alien women, right?" giggled Josie. Then she had a strange thought. "Do you think you could drink their blood?"

"Vampires can survive on animal blood, right?" asked Jeremy.

"But what if aliens don't have blood?" Josie wondered.

"Could be green, like Spock's?" said Jeremy.

"Now he's cute," said Josie, looking at the DVD box.

"He's like a robot, Jo," said Jeremy. "No emotions."

"She's used to that," said Kol.

Josie scoffed. "Klaus has emotions! He isn't the greatest at expressing them in a healthy way, but..."

"Klaus goes after his own blood," said Kol. "He's daggered me so many times."

"Let's just watch the movie, okay?" said Elena, lifting the remote.

Josie sat back, curled on an armchair. Why was Kol acting like this? She knew he and Klaus hadn't been getting along recently, but he was acting really strangely. There was something off.

Josie's eyes widened and she fought to calm her heartbeat as she realized what it was. Kol kept calling him 'Klaus'. Except he never did that. It was always 'Nik'. Plus, he hadn't flirted with her at all (which he always did, just to annoy Klaus) and he hadn't remembered about the blood bag fridge.

But what could be wrong? He'd been stabbed by the passenger-killing knife, so it wasn't that. Some other type of magic?

It didn't matter. Whatever was wrong, she had to alert the hybrids. Twelve newbie vampires, even if they were hybrids, were no match for an Original like Kol, unless they somehow got the jump on him. Maybe bit him a few times. It wouldn't kill him, but would put him down for a while, until they could figure out what to do.

Josie casually got out her phone and started typing a text to James, who was with the rest of the dozen hybrids Klaus had left- patrolling the house and grounds.

'Something is wrong with Kol,' she typed. 'He's not acting like...'

"Put the phone down," hissed Kol's voice.

Josie's head snapped to the side and she saw Kol holding Elena and Jeremy both in chokeholds.

"Put it down, or I snap their necks," he snarled in a low voice.

"Okay, okay," said Josie, putting the phone down. "Please, just..."

"What's going on?" asked Jeremy, struggling. "Kol, what are you doing?"

"I don't think that's Kol," said Josie, hands raised.

"Far too clever for your own good," said Kol, shaking his head. "I was hoping to avoid collateral damage."

"Please just them go," said Josie.

Kol shrugged. "Okay."

Then he snapped both Jeremy and Elena's necks with a twist of his wrists.

Before Josie could scream, Kol's hand clamped over her mouth. She struggled against him, even though it was useless, all the while looking at Jeremy and Elena's lifeless bodies on the floor. Jeremy would be fine, he had his ring of course, but Elena wouldn't.

"Stop struggling," hissed Kol, tightening his grip on her.

"You'll never make it past the hybrids," said Josie, though her speech was muffled by Kol's hand.

Kol chuckled humorlessly. "I'm wearing an Original, sweetheart. Maybe the full pack of dogs crawling around here would have been a problem, not to mention the rest of First Family... but now? Why do you think I sent them all away?"

"It is a trap," breathed Josie, now afraid for Klaus and the others.

Josie's scream was muffled and she tried her hardest to throw him off, but he just gripped her tighter. Then he hit her over the head. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was Jeremy and Elena, lying motionless on the floor.

o – o – o

"They're here," said Mason, coming to standing next to Klaus.

Klaus, Rebekah, Nadia and Elijah were standing in the circle of cars, surrounded by the 30-odd hybrids that had come to Upstate New York.

"Hello, love," smiled Klaus, seeing Lexi and Enzo approach.

"Hello, darling," Enzo responded, cheekily. "I'm Enzo. And who are you, gorgeous?" He smirked at Rebekah.

"My baby sister," growled Klaus, hybrid eyes flashing, teeth elongating.

Enzo's eyes widened slightly. "Didn't mean anything by it, mate."

"We're here to help, Klaus," said Lexi, stepping forward.

Klaus smiled at her. "It is lovely to see you again, Lexi."

"Lexi?" inquired Rebekah. "Stefan's friend?"

Lexi nodded. "And you must be Rebekah."

"Yes, well now that we're all acquainted, let's get on with it," said Klaus.

Elijah cleared his throat. "This group of witches is inhabiting a large warehouse just over this hill. They are holding six hostages: the brothers Salvatore, Katerina Petrova, our brother, Finn and two desiccated Immortals."

"The plan is simple," said Klaus. "Secure the hostages, kill all the witches. Any questions?"

"I have one," said Enzo.

"What?" growled Klaus.

"What's to stop these witches from killing the hostages first?" asked Enzo.

"They need the doppelgangers alive," answered Klaus. "Finn as well."

"Damon's not a doppelganger," said Enzo, eyes narrowed.

"Better run fast then, mate," smirked Klaus. He turned toward the hill that would take them to the warehouse and the Travelers. "Let's go."

 **A/N: Let me know what you thought about this and what you think will happen next chapter! A lot is happening all at once, so I hope you're finding it interesting to read!**


	76. The Rescue (Part Two)

**A/N: We don't know who is in Kol's body (yet), why he threatened Josie or killed Elena and Jeremy. He did witness Elena drinking Elijah's blood when she was stabbed with the passenger-killing blade, so "Kol" knows Elena won't be dead, dead.**

 **In regards to how "Kol" knew Josie was on to him- In my mind, "Kol" was watching Josie closely the whole night, knowing he wasn't doing a great impression. So, the tell-tale uptick in her breathing and heart rate when she figured it out gave her away (much like how Elijah knew Elena was lying about his mother's plans in canon). I probably should have done a better job of making it obvious that Josie knew, though as you'll see in this chapter, "Kol" always planned to reveal himself at some point.**

 **I'm still contemplating possibly bringing in prison worlds & the Gemini Coven, but it's tricky with all the changes I've made. I have a thought how I might do it- Kai was probably one of my favorite characters, after all.**

 **Hope you find this chapter exciting! Full of twists and turns and much drama, wrapping up the Travelers arc, even if the effects will linger. And sorry about the length. It was unavoidable.**

o – o – o

"What do you think?" whispered Mason, as he crouched behind a bush just outside the Traveler's warehouse.

"It's quiet," offered Rebekah, peering into the darkness.

"Too quiet," added Enzo, glancing over at Klaus and Elijah.

Even though no one had said anything to him, it was clear Klaus and Elijah were the leaders here.

"Agreed," said Elijah. "I can hear a dozen heartbeats, 15 at most."

"They've no doubt found a way to fool our hearing," said Klaus. "If I recall, that spell is quite standard."

He nodded at Nadia. "Now is the time, my dear."

Nadia rose and started walking towards the building.

"What are you doing?" asked Enzo. "How do you know she's not about to warn them?"

Klaus smirked. "I've compelled her... She has strict instructions to not reveal our prescence and return with information on the exact location of all those who occupy the building."

Enzo rolled his eyes at these arrogant Original vampires, but kept his thoughts to himself, looking around at all the hybrids that surrounded them. Despite his dislike of Klaus, he was glad to be on Team Original for the time being.

o – o – o

Nadia knocked on the door to the warehouse, smiling when Amy, the redhead Traveler greeted her.

"Nadia," smiled Amy. "Where have you been? Diana said you went hunting this morning."

Nadia returned the smile, walking into the warehouse. "I decided to play with my food a bit."

Amy's nose wrinkled. "You vampires... You know Damon tried to feed from me while we were having sex on New Year's Eve."

Amy and Nadia walked down the hallway towards the offices, which is where the Travelers were keeping their prisoners.

"No one told you to have sex with him," said Nadia, raising an eyebrow.

"Have you seen him?" smirked Amy. "Vampire or not... he was a delicious treat."

Amy stopped outside one of the offices and looked inside. Nadia peered into the office and saw Damon chained against the wall.

"How are the others?" asked Nadia. "The doppelgangers?"

"Still being drained," said Amy. "Once we have enough blood to complete the spell to break our curse, the others will execute the last remaining doppelgangers, as well as the immortals."

"You found the human doppelgangers?"

Amy nodded. "A man named Tom in Atlanta. And Elena in Mystic Falls. Elena could prove difficult to kill though."

"Oh?" asked Nadia, innocently.

"Diana told us she's under the protection of the Original Hybrid, Klaus," said Amy in an annoyed voice. "But we can always just kill Katherine. Then only one female doppelganger remains."

Nadia frowned. "You still need Elena's blood to complete the spell."

Amy smirked. "Diana also told us that the hybrid keeps her blood for his own purposes... As well as where he stores it. Someone is obtaining Elena's blood as we speak. As an insurance policy."

o – o – o

"Josie," whispered a voice as she slowly came to consciousness. "Jo, are you awake?"

Josie groaned and blinked, her eyes slowly focusing on Jeremy's concerned face in front of hers.

"Jer?" she whispered, still feeling a little lightheaded. "What's... where?"

"We're still at the Mikaelson's," said Jeremy.

Josie sat up from where she was lying on the floor and saw not only were they at Klaus', they were in the same room where they'd been watching the movie.

"Elena?" frowned Josie, looking around.

Jeremy looked distraught as his gaze fell to Elena's body, that was lying on one of the couches.

"She's not awake?" asked Josie.

"What do you mean?" asked Jeremy. "Did she..."

"Elijah healed her earlier," explained Josie. "She's not dead, dead."

Jeremy heaved a sigh of relief and Josie realized Jeremy hadn't been present earlier and must have thought Elena was truly dead.

"How long were we out?" asked Josie.

"I don't know," said Jeremy. "Kol or whoever that is, took our phones. I woke up a few minutes ago."

Josie got up and made her way to the door.

"Don't bother," said Jeremy, sighing. "There's a boundary spell. We're stuck here."

Josie sighed as she pushed on the invisible boundary.

"Fucking evil witches!" exclaimed Josie. "We have to alert the others. Nadia and whoever's inside Kol must have sent everyone else into a trap."

"Or maybe they just wanted them out of town," offered Jeremy.

"Maybe," said Josie, coming to sit next to Jeremy. "But they have to know what they're walking into. And Klaus will want to know about Elena."

"What is he going to do about it?" asked Jeremy, confused.

"The Travelers have the cure," said Josie, looking at Elena. "If Klaus can get it..."

"Won't Finn die then?"

"I don't think so. I mean, couldn't Elena just borrow it? We inject it into her, cure her, then give it back to Finn?"

"Might work," Jeremy nodded.

Josie bit her lip. "We just have to find a way to send them a message."

"Okay, but our first priority should be getting you out of here," said Jeremy, looking at her stomach. "If we can contact them, Anna and Pearl would come. Not to mention Caroline and Bonnie."

Josie nodded and she and Jeremy began a quiet search, looking through the various bookshelves, drawers, etc. of the living room, hoping to find a stray phone of some kind. Josie kept nervously glancing at Elena.

It wasn't just Elena being a vampire that Josie was concerned about. Yes, Elena didn't want to be a vampire and had made that perfectly clear on many occasions, but Josie was also concerned about the sire bond.

Elena hadn't exactly admitted to having feelings for Elijah, but it was clear there was something there, even if Elena had been trying to take some time for herself recently. There was no telling if Elena would end up sired to Elijah if she couldn't be cured.

Josie sighed and continued poking through the drawer she'd just opened. She had to hope they could figure something out.

o – o – o

After making an excuse to Amy, Nadia quickly crept to Katherine and Stefan's cell, opening the door. Katherine and Stefan were there, chained to the wall, their blood being drained into a number of buckets. They were both barely conscious.

Nadia frowned and took out her phone.

"Hello," came the voice at the other end.

"I'm here," said Nadia. "You have what you want. Now give me what we agreed on."

There was a pause. "It's done."

"Are you sure?" questioned Nadia. "I don't want to enter this room and not be able to leave."

"The barrier is down," came the voice, a little angry. "Just like we agreed."

The call was cut off and Nadia put her phone back in her pocket.

She stepped over the threshold of the room, then immediately stepped back, pleased to see the barrier was in fact, gone.

She rushed over to Katherine, quickly grabbing a few of the blood bags the Travelers kept in the room to feed their two drained doppelgangers.

"Drink," said Nadia, opening the bag and putting it to Katherine's lips.

Katherine obeyed and drained the bag while Nadia broke through her chains. Katherine quickly drained the next two bags before standing up, feeling better than she had in a week.

"Let's go," said Nadia.

"Who are you?" asked Katherine, eyeing her suspiciously. "How do I know this isn't a trick?"

"I'll explain later," said Nadia. "What choice do you have? Do you want to stay here?"

"What about Stefan?" asked Katherine.

Nadia shook her head. "There's no time. We have to go."

A loud crash resounded in the warehouse, shaking the building fiercely.

"We're not safe here," said Nadia, looking frightened. "I made a bargain for your life. They'll kill us if they find us."

"Who are you?" asked Katherine, looking skeptical.

"My name is Nadia. Nadia Petrova."

Katherine's eyes were wide, but there was a clear recognition.

"I'll explain later," Nadia said again. "We have to move."

The sounds of fighting reached Katherine's vampire ears and she decided she had no choice but to trust Nadia.

Katherine bent down and broke through Stefan's chains, her strength now returned. She made her way to the door, throwing a few blood bags in his direction.

"Hopefully we'll meet again," she said and ran from the room.

o – o – o

"Where the bloody hell is she?" hissed Rebekah.

It had been ten minutes since Nadia went into the warehouse.

"Perhaps she's been captured?" mused Elijah.

"Then we shouldn't wait," said Enzo, feeling anxious. "If they know we're coming..."

Klaus nodded to Mason, who stood up and motioned to the hybrids, who all took off towards the warehouse, two of them crashing through a large garage door, causing the whole building to shake.

"Ready, Brother?" asked Elijah, getting to his feet and adjusting his cuffs.

Klaus smiled. "Always, Brother."

They zoomed into the warehouse, quickly followed by Rebekah, Mason, Enzo and Lexi.

All around them, hybrids were fighting the Travelers, who, strangely, all looked taken by surprise. Still, despite being cursed, the Travelers were witches, and witches, especially experienced ones, were more than a match for vampires.

Mason went to help his fellow hybrids.

"Find them," said Elijah, rolling his neck as he prepared to jump into the fray. "I'll hold the line here."

Klaus nodded and together, he, Rebekah, Enzo and Lexi left to find the hostages.

o – o – o

Josie and Jeremy were still searching the room, for the third time, when Kol appeared in the doorway.

"Looking for something?" Kol asked, casually leaning against the doorframe.

"Let us go!" Jeremy said angrily, coming to face the vampire.

"Look who's alive," said Kol with a raised eyebrow. "I forgot about that ring. No matter... You weren't my true target anyway."

His eyes slid to Josie, then Elena.

"What do the Travelers want with me?" asked Josie, confused.

Kol laughed loudly and moved into the room. Both Josie and Jeremy noticed then that his hands were covered in blood and he had blood spatters all over his clothes.

"What's so funny?" Jeremy asked angrily.

"You think that group of pathetic witch wannabes could have orchestrated this?" asked Kol, still laughing.

"What do you mean?" asked Josie, fearful of the answer.

Kol looked at her smugly. "I split his forces. I killed all his hybrids here, thanks to Nadia, the Travelers will kill their fair share in New York... I turned his blood source," he looked at Elena, "so he can't make any more, and most importantly, I captured the person who means the most to him."

Josie blinked, tears instantly springing to her eyes. The hybrids... dead? The pack, Klaus' pack, the ones that were practically her family. No, it couldn't be...

"This is about Klaus," breathed Josie, blinking back her tears. "Revenge on Klaus."

Kol smiled. "Believe me he deserves it."

"So take it out on Klaus," said Jeremy, angrily.

"I had considered it," came a familiar voice from the hallway. "But ultimately, I don't want him to die. I want him to suffer."

Diana appeared behind Kol with a smug smile on her face.

"I see you've met my son, Christopher," said Diana, putting a hand on Kol's shoulder.

Josie gasped, realizing that Kol didn't have a Traveler inside him. Diana stuck her son in there. That's why the passenger-killing knife didn't affect him.

"Quite useful having an Original on my side," smirked Diana. "He compelled Nadia to not accept any commands from Klaus, he killed all these annoying hybrid dogs..."

"You fucking bitch," growled Josie.

Kol frowned, ignoring Josie. "I'm not keeping this body, Mother."

"Of course not, my dear," said Diana, squeezing Kol's shoulder affectionately. "Once I'm finished with Josie, I'll move you back."

"Stay away from me!" shouted Josie, retreating a few steps back.

Diana and Kol just laughed. Diana chanted a few words, holding her hands up to the barrier.

Kol moved quickly and before Josie or Jeremy could do anything, Kol had grabbed her and retreated back into the hallway. Josie struggled uselessly against him.

Diana used magic to send Jeremy flying across the room and by the time he'd gotten back on his feet, she'd restored the barrier.

"Let her go!" shouted Jeremy, banging on the barrier.

"I think not," smirked Diana. "Her demise is central to my plan."

o – o – o

Katherine and Nadia crouched behind a shipping container on one side of the warehouse, watching the fighting between Team Original and Team Traveler.

"The Originals are here," said Katherine with a slight fear in her voice. "What's going on?"

"I convinced them to come," said Nadia.

"Why?" frowned Katherine.

"It was the only way to save you," said Nadia, remembering when Diana had caught her trying to free Katherine the day before.

 _Yesterday_

 _Nadia fumbled with the herbs she'd entwined into a pentagram, chanting a few words at the door of Katherine's cell. She growled in frustration, knowing the barrier that stupid witch Diana put up was still in place. How was she ever going to get her mother out of here?_

" _Well, well," said Diana, entering the hallway. "Looks like we have a traitor in our midst."_

 _Nadia stood upright, vampiric face coming out, preparing for a fight._

" _No need to get upset," said Diana, rolling her eyes. "Which one do you want?"_

" _Katherine," said Nadia, still eyeing Diana suspiciously. "What's it to you?"_

 _Diana smiled. "It's possible we can help each other out."_

" _Why would you help me?" asked Nadia._

 _Diana sighed. "Let's just say the time has come for me and the Travelers to part ways. I'm afraid I can't let them achieve their end goal, but I'm hoping they'll help me with mine, even if they don't know it."_

 _Nadia tilted her head. "And if I help you, you'll let me and Katherine go?"_

 _Diana nodded. "I'll even put a cloaking spell on you two. As a gesture of goodwill."_

 _Nadia looked at Diana suspiciously, but realized if she was truly loyal to the Travelers, she would have alerted them to what Nadia had been doing._

" _Okay," said Nadia. "What do I have to do?"_

Nadia was pulled back to reality by the body of a Traveler hitting the shipping container she and Katherine were crouched behind.

"We have to move," said Nadia. "I have a car a few miles from here. If we make it there, we should be free."

o – o – o

Klaus, Lexi, Enzo and Rebekah quickly ran through the warehouse, looking for the hostages. The first room they came to was empty, the second held Stefan. Though he'd been released from his restraints, he was still slumped against the wall, trying to break through the seal of a blood bag.

"Stefan!" exclaimed Lexi, hurrying into the room. She looked at Rebekah, Enzo and Klaus. "I've got him."

They all nodded and continued on. Klaus rounded a corner when someone grabbed him and threw him down the corridor.

Klaus growled and turned to face his opponent. He was surprised to find it was Damon.

"Damon!" yelled Enzo, who had come around the corner with Rebekah.

"Damon's not home," snarled the Traveler wearing Damon's body.

"This one's mine," said Enzo, crouching to an attack position.

Klaus and Rebekah nodded, continuing along the hallway.

Damon just smirked. "What are you going to do? Can't kill your friend."

"I can snap your neck," countered Enzo, lunging for Damon.

Damon dodged his attack, punching Enzo's side and throwing him into a wall.

"And then what?" asked Damon, hovering over where Enzo was slumped against the wall. "I'll still be here... One little word and I'll come to the surface. Take over and do what I please."

Enzo growled and quickly got to his feet, grabbing Damon by his shirt and tossing him through a nearby door.

"Don't you see?" laughed Damon, as Enzo zoomed into the room. "You can't win."

Enzo just smiled and held Damon against the wall in a chokehold.

"I think I can," said Enzo.

The smug look on Damon's face disappeared when he saw the blade of the passenger-killing knife slide into his chest. Damon's eyes flashed black and he slumped down.

"I've got ya," said Enzo, catching his friend and pocketing the knife. "You owe me a drink, mate."

o – o – o

Kol pulled Josie along the hallway of the Mikaelson house, following Diana's lead.

"Please don't hurt me," said Josie. "I'm..."

She trailed off as they reached the main foyer, stumbling at the sight before her.

All twelve of the hybrids that Klaus left behind were grey and veiny. Most had their hearts ripped out, while a few were decapitated. Tears fell from her eyes, seeing the bodies of her friends, her family, lying dead and cold.

Her heart leapt as they passed James and Tyler. They were just staked through the heart. Obviously Diana and Christopher didn't know that the only way to kill a hybrid was heart extraction or decapitation. And why would they? Klaus had kept it a closely guarded secret.

Once they were clear of the house, Kol used his Original Vampire strength to hoist both Diana and Josie to his sides and speed to their destination. It only took a few minutes until they arrived at a small farmhouse just outside of Mystic Falls.

"What is this place?" asked Josie. "What are you going to do with me?"

She didn't understand. If Diana was going to kill her, why hadn't she just done that back at the Mikaelson house?

Diana pushed the front door open and, with a rush of wind, Josie found herself on the floor in the middle of a salt circle.

"Please," said Josie. "Please, I'm..."

"With child?" finished Diana. "Oh, I know. I spent hours inside your head back in New York."

"Please," repeated Josie, with a protective hand over her stomach.

Diana just smiled evilly. "You being pregnant with his children just makes this better."

"What do you mean?" asked Josie, afraid of the answer.

Kol smiled and fished in his pocket.

"Recognize this?" he asked.

Josie gasped when she saw what was in his hand- the watch that Klaus had Diana make. The watch that would send her back to her home universe.

o – o – o

Elena woke with a gasp.

"Elena," said Jeremy in a soothing tone. "Elena, you're okay."

Elena blinked, trying to collect her thoughts. "What... what happened?"

Jeremy sighed. "It was Kol. Or Christopher, Diana's son."

"Diana?" Elena repeated. "Oh my god, where's Josie?"

"I don't know. Diana and Christopher took her."

"We have to find her!" Elena tried to get up, but Jeremy pushed her down.

"We're stuck in this room with no phones," explained Jeremy. "Diana put a boundary spell on it."

Elena sighed, then put a hand to her throat.

"Wait, Kol... he..."

"Snapped your neck," finished Jeremy. "Mine too."

Elena looked worried for Jeremy for a second, but Jeremy just held up his ring.

"I'm fine, Elena. But you... Josie said Elijah healed you earlier today."

Elena gasped. "Oh god... I'm... I'm dead."

"I'm so sorry, Elena," said Jeremy, shaking his head.

"But I can't... no... I don't want to be a vampire," said Elena, looking horrified.

"There may be a way out of this... Klaus and Elijah went after Finn."

Elena's eyes widened. "The cure."

Jeremy nodded, helping Elena to a seating position. "Josie thinks if we inject you with the cure, then put it back into Finn, you both should be fine."

"How are we going to get ahold of Klaus?" asked Elena, looking around the room.

"Use this," came a voice from the doorway.

A phone was tossed into the room.

Elena and Jeremy looked and saw Tyler and James standing there.

"We're going after Josie," said Tyler.

Then he and James disappeared as quickly as they'd come.

Jeremy went to retrieve the phone and immediately dialed Klaus' number.

He sighed in frustration. "He's not picking up."

Jeremy tried Klaus again, Rebekah and Mason, all to no avail. Finally, after ringing a dozen times, Elijah picked up his phone.

"Speak quickly," came Elijah's voice.

"Elijah!" exclaimed Jeremy. "It's Jeremy Gilbert."

"Where is James?"

"He's gone," said Jeremy. "Diana's here in Mystic Falls. Her son Christopher is possessing Kol's body. They got Nadia to lead you to the Travelers so they could take Josie. James and Tyler went after her, but Diana took off her GPS necklace. I think the rest of the hybrids here are dead. Elena and I are stuck in one of the rooms in your house behind a boundary spell."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a second.

"Call Bonnie," said Elijah. "See if she can do a locator spell on Josie and lower the boundary. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Wait!" shouted Jeremy. "Christopher killed us. Me and Elena. I'm fine. I had my ring, but Elena..."

"Ingested my blood today," sighed Elijah.

"Yes," confirmed Jeremy. "Josie had an idea... If you find Finn..."

"Agreed," said Elijah, hastily. "I will find Niklaus. He went after the hostages."

The line went dead and Jeremy stared at the phone for second before dialing Bonnie's number, hoping she picked up.

o – o – o

Rebekah and Klaus continued further into the warehouse, down the hallway. The hallway ended at a 'T' junction, so Klaus went left and Rebekah went right.

The next few rooms Klaus checked were vacant, save some old cleaning supplies. Finally, he came to a room that was occupied.

Klaus ripped the door from its hinges and rushed into the room, finding himself face to face with Finn. His older brother was lying on a thin mattress, a chain around his ankle. He looked a little dirty, as if he hadn't showered for days, but other than that seemed relatively healthy.

"Niklaus," said Finn, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Your blood is the cure," said Klaus. "We cannot allow it to fall into the wrong hands. Is it still within you?"

Klaus looked Finn over, trying to see if there were any puncture wounds from a needle.

Finn nodded. "They have not taken it. They said they were waiting for something."

Klaus nodded and moved to Finn's ankle, where the chain was.

"Where is Sage?" asked Finn. "Is she with you?"

Klaus moved his hand back. "No, Brother. She's dead. The witches who took you, they killed her."

Finn gasped. "No!"

"I am sorry."

Finn blinked, his eyes welling up with tears for his lost love.

"It's my fault," said Finn. "The cure, my blood. These witches were not the first to seek it."

Klaus' hands hovered over the ankle chain. "Your blood is perhaps the most dangerous weapon on the planet."

"Indeed... That is why we must leave."

Klaus took a deep breath, looking his brother in the eye.

"I can't," said Klaus. "I'm sorry, Brother."

Klaus clenched his jaw, feeling his own eyes well up.

"What are you talking about?" cried Finn. "Niklaus, release me at once."

"I cannot risk it."

His heart felt like lead, his stomach clenched. Of all the dastardly acts he'd committed across the centuries, this would be one of the worst.

"Niklaus, please," pleaded Finn. "I am your brother."

At that, Klaus' head snapped up.

"My brother?" Klaus repeated, through his tears. "My brother that conspired with our mother to kill us all?"

"I only wanted us human," returned Finn. "To live the life we should have had a thousand years ago. To marry, have a family..."

"It is for my family that I do this," Klaus cut in. "Your blood is too dangerous. I cannot take the risk."

Klaus steeled himself, not bothering to wipe the tears away just yet.

"Niklaus, please..."

Klaus reached out and snapped Finn's neck in a flash, catching his body before it fell to the floor. He wiped his face and looked down at his older brother's face. He closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment before moving.

A minute later, Finn's body was soaked in something flammable and the match was in Klaus' hand.

"Forgive me, Brother," said Klaus.

Then he let the match drop, watching the body go up in flames.

"Niklaus..." came Elijah's voice behind him. "What have you done?"

Klaus turned and faced Elijah. "What I had to."

Elijah opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by a sudden flare from the fire consuming Finn's body. It narrowly missed Klaus' clothes, but the blaze managed to hit the partially rotted ceiling, causing it to collapse.

"Bloody hell," Klaus said, quickly retreating.

Elijah took one last look at Finn's body and sighed.

"I suggest we vacate the premises," he said, tilting his head towards the door.

Klaus nodded and followed Elijah out of the room.

o – o – o

"So you're my long-long daughter?" asked Katherine, as she and Nadia came upon the car Nadia had hidden just off the road.

"Yes," confirmed Nadia. "Would you like to do a DNA test?"

Katherine rolled her eyes.

"Why else would I help a complete stranger?" asked Nadia, opening the door to the car. "Get in."

Katherine hesitated.

"Unless you'd like to go back?" questioned Nadia. "Take your chances with Klaus?"

"You betrayed him, not me," Katherine said, angrily. "I just won my freedom from him."

"Do you think Klaus will take the time to understand the difference?" asked Nadia. She sighed. "It was the only way. Diana would have killed you if I didn't agree to lead Klaus and his hybrids here."

Katherine looked at Nadia with annoyance, before huffing angrily and getting into the car.

Nadia smiled and got in as well, finding the keys under the seat.

Katherine sighed and sat back. "Klaus will never stop hunting us."

Nadia tilted her head. "I think he'll have enough on his plate without worrying about us."

Katherine scoffed. "You don't know Klaus."

"Well," said Nadia, as she pulled out onto the dark highway. "I guess we're going to have to stick together."

Katherine looked over at her long-lost daughter and smiled slightly.

"I guess so," said Katherine.

No one had ever chosen her, for her. It was always because she was the doppelganger or someone took pity on her or because she'd compelled someone. Katherine couldn't believe Nadia had faced the fearsome Klaus to protect her.

Nadia gazed over at the mother she'd searched so long for, before turning her attention to the road, telling Katherine she should get some rest as they drove.

o – o – o

Klaus watched as the warehouse lit up the night sky. After he had set fire to Finn's body and destroyed the cure for good, the fire had spread quickly.

Though his pack had won the fight against the Travelers while he'd been with his brother, they had still lost eight of their own, and many more had been staked through the heart, temporarily incapacitated.

It had taken all of the remaining hybrids, not to mention his family, but they managed to get everyone out in time, leaving only the Travelers inside the warehouse.

"Remind me never to piss you off," said Enzo, looking at the blazing building, while still supporting the unconscious Damon.

"Niklaus," said Elijah, striding up to Klaus. "There you are."

"Is everyone accounted for?" asked Klaus, double checking.

"Everyone except Nadia and Katherine," said Mason.

"I doubt you'll find them," said Elijah, darkly.

Klaus frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Nadia betrayed us," explained Elijah. "Diana is in Mystic Falls. And she has Josie."

o – o – o

Tyler bent low to the ground, closing his eyes and inhaling the scent.

"Got something?" asked James, who was standing a few feet away.

"Maybe," frowned Tyler. "I think she was here."

"I don't smell anything," frowned James.

"You don't know her scent like I do."

"I forgot you two used to go out."

Tyler looked up at James. "Josie was the first girl I ever loved."

James raised an eyebrow. "Find her and I'll forget you used to date our Alpha's mate."

Tyler frowned, still smelling the ground. "Why does that matter?"

"Tradition states that when an Alpha is joined in union with his mate all former sexual partners have to be sacrificed."

Tyler's eyes went wide. "What?"

"It's an ancient tradition," said James, who was the werewolf cultural expert of the pack. "No one follows it anymore, don't worry."

Tyler nodded, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Wait, what union?"

James smiled. "Klaus called me when they landed in New York. He's going to ask Josie to do a formal werewolf unification ceremony. He asked me to order a ring."

Tyler smiled, happy for his ex-girlfriend and his Alpha.

"She was here," said Tyler, finally finding the trail of her scent. "They went that direction."

James nodded and followed when Tyler took off, praying they got to Josie in time.

o – o – o

"You're going to send me back," breathed Josie, trying not to let the tears fall as she looked at the watch.

Diana laughed. "That would be nice, but Klaus stole my Grimoire with that spell, so no doubt he would eventually be able to retrieve you again."

Josie frowned, confused.

"That's the problem with Klaus," snarled Diana. "All his resources, his family, his loyal minions. He takes whatever he wants and kills whoever gets in his way. Why do you think I allied myself with those insufferable Travelers?"

"Why did you?" asked Josie, who been unable to figure that out.

"Klaus killed my husband!" shouted Diana. "I was angry. I wanted him dead. But I needed the cure for that, so when one of them offered a spell to induce your visions, I agreed to a temporary alliance."

"But then you changed your mind."

Diana nodded "And once I realized the Travelers' true goal was to end all spirit magic, I decided the time had come to dissolve our alliance. So I sent Christopher and Nadia here to Mystic Falls. And well... you know the rest."

"Except what I'm doing here," said Josie, fearfully.

At that Diana gave her a smile that sent a hot spike of fear down her spine.

"Death is... too good for Klaus. Too quick. I have something better in mind," smirked Diana. "Something that will ensure Klaus' suffering knows no end."

"What's that?" asked Josie, fearfully.

"An eternity without the woman he loves."

Josie tried to back away, but she was trapped by the boundary of the salt circle. She just looked helplessly at Diana as the witch raised her hand and once again forced Josie to slide into unconsciousness.

o – o – o

Tyler bent low to the ground. "She definitely came this way."

James looked at the phone. "According to the map, there's only one building on this property. An old farmhouse."

"Let's go," said Tyler. "The scent is getting stronger."

o – o – o

Every muscle in Klaus' body was tensed and had been ever since Elijah had told him about the events in Mystic Falls.

Now he sat on the charter plane, all the hybrids in various states of agitation- all of them worried for their Alpha's mate, mourning the loss of their dead pack members and feeling anger at the one who had orchestrated it all.

"Any news?" asked Klaus.

Mason shook his head. The plane had a phone and Mason had been calling Jeremy and Tyler every five minutes, asking for updates.

"I'm sure she's okay," said Mason. "If Diana wanted to kill her, she would have done it at the house."

"That is of course assuming she didn't want to give Josie a proper, drawn-out death!" snapped Klaus, his mind going through all the dreadful possibilities.

Mason fell silent at his Alpha's temper, knowing nothing he said would help.

Klaus sat back and tried to control the wave of emotions, tried to control his spiraling thoughts.

Everything was in ruins. Everything he had worked so hard to achieve. His pack had lost a third of its numbers, he had lost the ability to make more hybrids, and he had, possibly, lost the woman he loved. The woman carrying his children.

He was startled out of his thoughts by Mason calling his name.

"Klaus," said Mason. "They found her."

o – o – o

Kol woke up with a start, immediately springing to his feet. He took in his surroundings, surprised to find himself in what appeared to be a small house.

He frowned when he looked down and saw Josie lying near his feet. She was still, but upon closer inspection, he realized she was alive, but unconscious. He smiled when he heard not only hers, but also the steady heartbeat of the children she was carrying.

He bent and picked her up, carrying her out of the house, trying to orient himself.

"Stop right there!"

Kol peered through the darkness to see two of Klaus' hybrids, James and Tyler, coming towards him.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" demanded Kol. "Where are we? Where is Nik?"

James and Tyler looked at each other uncertainly.

"Start talking!" growled Kol.

"Who are you?" asked Tyler, cautiously approaching Kol. "Are you Kol?"

Kol looked at him like he had five heads. "Who else would I be?" Then he groaned, realizing why he'd woke up in an unfamiliar place. "Someone took over my body, didn't they?"

Tyler nodded. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I was in New York," said Kol. "Following Diana's trail. I thought I'd found where she was staying and then... I woke up here, a minute ago."

Tyler sighed. "We'll explain everything. Let's just get her back to the house."

Kol nodded and followed Tyler and James into the woods.

o – o – o

"It's him," said Bonnie, pulling her hands away from Kol's head.

"Are you sure?" questioned Klaus, looking at Kol skeptically.

Klaus had arrived at his home an hour ago. Lexi and Enzo had taken the Salvatores home and Klaus had sent the pack to their respective homes to rest, telling them they would be the first to know if anything changed regarding Josie's condition.

She was breathing fine, had a strong heartbeat (as did the children), but she was still unconscious. Bonnie couldn't find anything wrong with her, so Klaus had asked for her help in confirming Kol's identity.

"His essence is his own," said Bonnie, looking over the spell in the Grimoire Klaus had provided. "I checked twice."

Klaus just nodded and got up, intending to go and join Jeremy, who was with Josie in Klaus' bedroom. Elena was with Elijah, who had volunteered to help her through her transition.

"How could you?" asked Rebekah in a hurt voice, walking into the sitting room with Mason.

"Care to explain what grievance you're referring to?" asked Klaus in an irritated voice.

"You killed Finn."

Klaus growled. "And? Given he'd already attempted fratricide on many occasions, I hardly think you'd shed a tear for him."

"You promised," said Rebekah. "You promised I could have the cure."

Klaus sighed, trying to push down the guilty feeling. He had told Rebekah that he would help her find Finn, and when the time was right, extract the cure from his blood in order to give it to her.

"I changed my mind," said Klaus.

Rebekah shook her head. "You selfish bastard."

"You dare accuse me of being selfish!" growled Klaus. "You would endanger my life, the lives of my pack, my unborn children, all in your own selfish desire to grow old and decay?"

"I deserve a normal life!" shouted Rebekah. "After a thousand years of you denying me a chance to ever find love, find happiness."

"I protected you from heartache!" Klaus shouted back. "A thousand years of running. Now you've found love, in an immortal. Tell me, Mason. Did you plan to take the cure with her? Go back to turning every full moon?"

Mason's face fell and he was silent, his answer clear.

"There you see, little sister," said Klaus, smugly. "I've done you a favor."

"The only person you've done a favor for is yourself," Kol cut in.

"You stay out of this," growled Klaus. "Haven't you caused enough trouble? The mother of my children lies unconscious, having been captured by my enemies, due to your ineptitude."

Kol growled at the insult, the insinuation that Josie's condition was his fault and reacted on instinct, attacking Klaus. He took Klaus by the shoulders and shoved him through the wall, into the hallway.

Klaus growled and made ready to attack back, when he had another idea. He flashed away, leaving Rebekah, Mason, Kol and Bonnie with confused looks.

"Well I'm leaving," said Bonnie, not wanting to get in the middle of a family dispute.

She grabbed her purse and left the room swiftly.

"Rebekah, I'm sorry," said Mason, looking regretful.

"Don't," said Rebekah angrily. "Why didn't you defend me? Why didn't you say something? You know how much I wanted it."

Mason didn't say anything, just hung his head.

"It's always going to be him, isn't it?" pressed Rebekah.

"I love you," said Mason. "But he's my Alpha. This is my pack now. You're not a wolf..."

"And therefore I don't understand," said Rebekah, bitterly.

"It's hard to explain," began Mason.

"You don't believe this rubbish, do you?" questioned Kol. "It's the bloody sire bond."

"Sire bonds don't change how you feel," said Mason, looking at Kol with an unfriendly glance. "Klaus is a good Alpha."

"A good Alpha?" Kol repeated. "He got over a dozen of you lot killed tonight."

Mason growled. "Diana did that."

"And who provoked Diana's anger?" pushed Rebekah. "Nik, in his quest to get Josie back."

"We all wanted her back!" exclaimed Mason. "I didn't hear you arguing at the time."

"I did," growled Kol. "And I got dagger threats in return."

"This time there's no threat," came Klaus' angry voice from doorway.

Kol and Rebekah's eyes widened when they saw the two shiny daggers in his hand.

"Nik, please," said Rebekah, walking backwards.

"I think another century in a box should teach you where your loyalties ought to lie," said Klaus, angrily.

"Klaus, man," said Mason. "I know you're upset about Josie..."

"Quiet!" growled Klaus. "Leave us."

Before Mason could comply, Tyler came running into the room.

"We think she's waking up," said Tyler.

Klaus clenched the daggers in his hands, but sent a withering look towards Rebekah and Kol before taking off, presumably up to his bedroom to see Josie.

Kol and Rebekah both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come on, Bekah," said Kol, head tilting toward the door.

"You want to run?" asked Rebekah.

"You want to get daggered again?" questioned Kol. "We're better off without him."

Rebekah hesitated for a second before giving a heavy sigh. "You're right."

Rebekah looked at Mason with pleading eyes, but he just shook his head.

"I love you, Rebekah," said Mason. "But I can't leave."

Rebekah willed the tears away, but they fell anyway.

"Maybe one day you'll choose love over loyalty," she said.

"You'll be the first one I call," said Mason, sadly.

Rebekah looked at Kol, who nodded. And together they disappeared from the room.

o – o – o

Klaus rushed to his bedroom to find Jeremy still sitting vigil by his bed.

Josie was moving slightly, eyes fluttering behind closed eyelids. She groaned slightly and slowly opened her eyes.

Klaus was by her side in an instant, holding her hand. When she opened her eyes, his was the first face she saw.

"Hello, love," he said in a soft voice.

"Hi," she responded, weakly. When her eyes finally focused on him, a wrinkle of confusion formed on her brow. "Who are you?"

"It's me, love," he smiled. "Klaus."

"Klaus?" frowned Josie. "Who's Klaus?" She sat up, looking a little frightened now. "I don't know you."

Her words cut like a knife and looking at her bewildered face, Klaus felt his heart shatter into a million pieces when he realized just what Diana had done.

 **A/N: I hope everyone liked the action and the drama (and hope you got some feels). Drop me a review and let me know what you think, what you're hoping for. I know it's not a happily-ever-after season finale, but the story's not over yet!**


	77. Welcome to the Fallout

**A/N: Thanks for you reviews! And sorry for the delay. A few thoughts:**

 **Rose is still alive, off hiding somewhere because Elijah compelled her to run as long as Klaus was alive. I doubt she'll come back into the story though.**

 **There are cures in the prison worlds, so if I bring them in, there may be a possibility for Elena to get cured. I turned her for the same reason I think the show did- to prevent Klaus from making tons and tons of hybrids, thereby making him super powerful and then he either auto-wins every fight (boring) or you have to come up with crazy powerful opponents to make it more even and create tension.**

 **I appreciate the feedback about the memory loss being fairly dramatic. And it is, but definitely with a purpose. Don't worry though, she will regain her memories- characters always do.**

 **Anyway, here ya go!**

"What's going on?" asked Jeremy, looking at Josie with a concerned face.

Josie turned her head to look at Jeremy. "Who are you?"

She glanced around the room, looking more and more agitated.

"Calm down, love," said Klaus. "That's Jeremy. He's your brother."

"Brother?" Josie repeated. "I..." She frowned. "I don't remember having a brother." Her frown deepened. "I don't remember anything."

"You were in an accident, Josie," said Klaus in a calming voice. "It must have affected your memories."

"Josie?" she said. "Is that..."

"Your name," nodded Jeremy. "Josie Gilbert."

Jeremy looked at Klaus with an anxious look.

"Okay," said Josie, trying to remain calm. "What kind of accident? I feel fine."

She reached up and felt her head, clearly confused by the lack of injuries.

"It was a witch," said Jeremy. "She cursed you or something." He looked at Klaus. "We have fix this."

Klaus gave Jeremy a reprimanding look. If Josie had truly lost her memories, they would have to be careful about what they revealed to her and when. He didn't want to frighten her.

Josie frowned. "Witches?"

"Get Bonnie," commanded Klaus. "She may still be on the grounds."

Jeremy stood up and nodded. "I'll be back, Jo, okay? You're safe with him."

"Who's Bonnie?" asked Josie, shoving the covers off. "What's going on? This doesn't make any sense."

"Calm yourself, love," said Klaus, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I promise all will be explained."

Klaus tried not to be hurt when she moved away from his touch.

"Then start talking," said Josie. "Who is Bonnie? Where am I? Why can't I remember anything?"

"You're home. We live here together. Bonnie is an acquaintance who I'm hoping can help you to remember."

"Is she a doctor?" asked Josie. "Why am I not in a hospital?"

"Bonnie is a witch. Witches are real. Your memory loss is not the result of a physical injury. Jeremy was quite correct, you've suffered some type of curse."

Klaus tried to keep the emotion out of his voice as he said the words. He knew Diana had wanted him to suffer. Looking into the eyes of the woman he loved while she stared blankly back at him, the vile witch had succeeded.

Josie's eyes widened and she cautiously moved away from him on the bed.

"Okay..." she said, speaking in an exaggerated 'calming' voice. "Right... witches. Sure."

Klaus tilted his head. "I'm telling the truth, love."

"I believe you," said Josie, continuing to bob her head and move away from him. "Witches... tricky. Uh, so... are you a witch too then? Am I?"

Klaus lifted an eyebrow at her attempts to placate him while she tried to get away.

"Josie, love," sighed Klaus. "I'll prove it to you."

"Of course," said Josie, still using the 'calming' voice reserved for small children and crazy people. "Do you mind if I use your restroom?"

"I'm not going to hurt you. Please just wait until Bonnie arrives..."

"I'm here," came Bonnie's voice from the bedroom doorway.

"I caught her just as she was pulling away," said Jeremy, following Bonnie into the room.

"Hey Josie," said Bonnie, walking towards the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Confused," said Josie, scrutinizing Bonnie from head to toe.

"I'm sorry," sighed Bonnie, then looked behind her. "Would you like a drink of water?"

Josie's eyes bugged out when Bonnie whispered something and the glass of water that rested on the nightstand started magically floating towards her.

She screamed and jumped back, away from the glass. She scrambled off the bed, stubbing her toe in the process.

"What the fuck is going on here?" asked Josie, eyeing Jeremy, Klaus and Bonnie warily.

"Calm down, love..." Klaus began.

"Don't you tell me to calm down!" Josie shouted. "I wake up, with no memory of who I am and you tell me I've been hexed by some witch? Witches aren't real."

"Let Bonnie help, Jo," said Jeremy.

"How do I know this isn't some trick?" demanded Josie, clearly trying to calm her breathing. "Maybe there's wires or strings..."

She continued to eye the floating glass of water as if it might attack her.

"Please, love," said Klaus, taking a cautious step forward. "Calm down, it's not good for you or the children."

Josie looked confused. "Children?"

"You're pregnant, Jo," said Jeremy.

"What?" shouted Josie, putting her hand to her stomach.

"With twins," Jeremy continued.

Josie blinked, her vision going fuzzy. "I... I can't breathe..."

She swayed a little, eyes closing and Klaus rushed forward, catching her as she fell.

"Is she okay?" asked Bonnie concerned.

"She's breathing," said Klaus, shaking his head.

He gently settled Josie back on the bed.

"Maybe an aftereffect of the spell?" guessed Jeremy.

"Could be," sighed Bonnie. "More likely just a normal reaction to information overload."

"Can you fix her?" asked Jeremy. "She'll be fine once she remembers everything."

"I can try," said Bonnie. "Without knowing what spell Diana used..."

"You can't reverse it?" asked Jeremy, anxiously. "Are you kidding me? We can't leave her like this."

"We'll find a solution," said Klaus.

"We're at an intersection of magic and neuroscience," said Bonnie, shaking her head. "Brain chemistry isn't something to play around with."

"We need a more experienced witch," concluded Klaus.

Jeremy looked affronted, but Bonnie just nodded.

"He's right," she said. "We could do permanent damage to her brain if we don't get it right."

o – o – o

Elijah knocked on the door to his study.

"Come in," came Elena's voice from within.

He opened the door to find the curtains drawn and Elena sitting on the couch, nervously playing with her hair.

"Elijah," she said, giving him a small smile. "Any news?"

Elijah shook his head. "I don't believe so." He came and sat beside her. "I brought you this."

He held out a glass, filled with blood. Elena eyed it warily.

"It's from a blood bag," said Elijah. "Niklaus has a deal with the local hospital."

"I thought Klaus had live donors?"

"He does," answered Elijah. "We find it's best to have both."

Elena nodded, but still didn't take the glass. "I don't want to be a vampire."

"I know." He set the glass down on a nearby table. "But I'm afraid the alternative is death. The cure is gone."

"Not everyone completes the transition," said Elena softly. "It's my choice."

Elijah tilted his head. "This is not a life I would have chosen for you."

"Do you regret it?" asked Elena. "If you could go back and change what your mother did, would you?"

Elijah sighed. "For many years, I wished to be human again. I mourned my life as a human, much as you would a loved one."

"And now?"

"Over the course of my long life, I have endured heartache beyond belief. Betrayal, anger, violence. All of it amplified due to my vampiric nature. And yet, even if there were an endless supply of the cure, I would not take it."

Elena frowned. "Why not?"

Elijah regarded her for a moment in silence before speaking again.

"I believe that there are two kinds of people. Those that prefer the tranquility and comfort of a normal, human life. And those that search for something... extraordinary. Something different, forbidden and perhaps, a little bit dangerous. One day, perhaps, I will seek death. But I wish to do so as a vampire."

Elena looked at him thoughtfully.

"You must decide, Elena," said Elijah. "Which kind of person are you?'

Elijah's phone started ringing.

"Excuse me for a moment," he told Elena, before answering. "Rebekah."

He got up from his position on the couch.

"Elijah," came Rebekah's voice. "I just thought I'd let you know Kol and I are leaving."

Elijah sighed. "What has Niklaus done now?"

"He tried to dagger us," said Rebekah, voice full of emotion. "I'll not spend another century in a box to appease his foul mood."

"He's simply upset about Josie," said Elijah. "Once she awakens..."

"She's awake," said Rebekah. "According to Tyler. The news of her stirring is the only reason we remain among the living."

"Rebekah, please..."

"Goodbye, Elijah. When you're ready to release yourself from Nik's web of misery, come find us."

Then she hung up. Elijah lowered the phone and looked at Elena, who'd been listening to his half of the conversation.

"What happened?" asked Elena.

"Rebekah and Kol are gone," said Elijah. "Josie is awake."

Elena got off the couch immediately, leaving the cup of blood behind for now.

o – o – o

"Where are they?" Jenna demanded as soon as Klaus opened the door to the Mikaelson house.

Klaus frowned. "Jenna, I assure you..."

Jenna looked livid and cut him off. "Oh no, Klaus. You don't get to blow me off." She barged past him. "I get a call at 3am from Jeremy, telling me Josie was kidnapped and Elena's been turned into a vampire."

She fixed Klaus with a stare that would have killed a lesser man. "Now, I get that there are things I can't protect them from, but their parents left me in charge of them and they are my family. So start talking!"

Klaus looked from Jenna to Alaric, who came into the house as well.

"Jenna, Alaric," said Elijah, coming into the foyer. "I'll take you to see them right away."

"Josie's sleeping," said Klaus, heatedly. "Jeremy and Elena are with her."

"Is she okay?" asked Jenna. "What about Elena?"

Klaus and Elijah looked at each other uncomfortably, but one more glare from Jenna and they told her. That Elena was in transition, but hadn't completed it. That Josie was fine physically, but Diana had stripped away all her memories.

"She doesn't remember anything?" asked Alaric, shocked.

Elijah shook his head. "No doubt this was by Diana's design."

"Because she wanted revenge on you," Jenna said, looking at Klaus accusingly. "Elena dying wasn't a coincidence either, was it?"

Klaus growled. "I lost a third of my pack tonight. I lost the woman I love, the woman carrying my children." He willed the moisture in his eyes to relent and the emotion in his voice to calm. "Diana wanted to give me an eternity of torment. I assure you whatever grievances you have I hold them ten times over."

Jenna's anger softened slightly at Klaus' rare display of emotion.

"We will do everything we can to make Josie whole again," said Elijah.

"And Elena?" questioned Alaric.

"Elena has a choice to make," was all he said. "They are upstairs. Turn left, second door on your right."

Jenna and Alaric nodded, moving past the brothers to go up the stairs.

"I spoke with Rebekah," said Elijah.

Klaus just ignored him and stalked towards his office, with Elijah following.

"Sod off, Elijah," said Klaus, angrily. "I don't want to talk about Rebekah. Or Kol."

"While I'm sure you feel you were justified in reaching for the ever-present dagger, did it not occur to you that you may have succeeded in scaring off our best chance of helping Josie?"

Klaus clenched his jaw. Obviously it had occurred to him. Kol was much more acquainted with the witch community than any of the siblings.

"I don't need that poor excuse for a brother," snarled Klaus. "Nor our shrill sister. If you wish to help, you're more than welcome. Otherwise, I have work to do."

Elijah sighed and turned to depart. "I will do what I can, of course."

o – o – o

"How is she?" Jenna asked quietly. "How are you?"

Jenna's eyes looked over Elena with a worried expression.

"I'm okay," answered Elena. "Josie's sleeping. Bonnie did a sleeping spell, so she'll sleep for at least another eight hours."

"She didn't react well," said Jeremy. "She was scared and then I tried to explain about Diana and the spell... She fainted after we told her about the twins."

Jenna's eyes widened. "Oh my god!"

"Klaus thinks we should wait to tell her about other stuff," said Elena. "Vampires and werewolves."

"What do you think?" asked Alaric, tilting his head.

Jeremy sighed. "I don't know. I don't want to keep anything from her, but being pregnant and hexed by a witch is enough for now. Hopefully it won't matter and they can fix it soon.

Elena nodded. "He just wants to protect her. We all do."

Jenna and Alaric looked at each other. A few seconds of silent communication and they both nodded.

Alaric turned to look at Elena.

"Elijah said you have a choice to make," he said.

"What choice?" asked Jeremy, frowning.

"There's no choice," said Elena. "I'm going to complete the transition."

"Was there ever a doubt?" asked Jenna.

Elena sighed. "I never wanted to be a vampire. I always thought I'd rather be dead. But now... I want to meet my nieces, or nephews. I want to see you guys get married. Vampire or not... I want to live."

o – o – o

Josie woke slowly. She felt warm. She sighed, trying to get closer to the source of warmth.

"Morning, love," came a voice from beside her.

She opened her eyes and saw the guy from earlier. Klaus, right? He was cradling her in his arms. She instinctively pushed him away. She felt bad for the hurt look he gave her, but she couldn't help it. He was a stranger. You don't cuddle strangers.

"Sorry," she said, awkwardly, moving further away from him. "I'm just..."

She held her hand to her head.

"It's alright," he said in a calm voice. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm... okay. I still can't remember anything. Nothing about me, I mean. I know who the president is and that the economy sucks, so I guess that's something."

She looked around, noticing they were alone in the room.

"Your family left a few hours ago," explained Klaus. "I can call them if you like."

Josie shrugged sadly. "It's not like I remember them."

"I'm sorry, love," said Klaus.

He started to reach out to comfort her, as he normally did, but drew his hand back when she involuntarily moved back.

"Why don't you tell me about my family?" asked Josie, trying to ease the awkwardness.

Klaus nodded and told her all about the Gilberts, including Josie herself. Basic information like names, ages, occupation, etc. He talked about past history and relationships, everything he thought was safe information.

He pulled out his phone and showed her pictures. She was relieved to see there were a ton of her and Klaus together. Further proof that despite the memory loss, they were definitely acquainted and this wasn't some giant trick they were all playing on her.

"So Elena's the only single one?" asked Josie. "Jeremy is with Anna, Jenna is with Alaric, and you and I are together."

Klaus nodded. "Jenna and Alaric are engaged. You, Elena and Jeremy are all in the wedding. The date has yet to be set."

"But the date is set for this," said Josie, putting a hand to her stomach.

"You're 12 weeks along," he smiled. "Due August 27."

"Is that why we live together?"

"Partially," he answered. "I'd hoped to protect you from the witch that cursed you by keeping you here."

Josie frowned. "How am I safer here than back home?"

"I employ private security. We thought it best you stay with me."

"Why did this witch want to hurt me?"

"She hurt you because of me. I hurt her in pursuit of my goals and she took her vengeance."

"What did you do?" asked Josie, curiously.

Klaus couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth. The old Josie had not taken the news well, but had despised Diana, so had little sympathy for her. The woman seated before him had no context for the things he'd done.

"I broke her heart," said Klaus, going for a half-truth.

"Oh," said Josie. "Did I... I mean, did I break you two up?"

She looked at him with such wide-eyed apprehension. Klaus almost had to laugh at the absurdity of him and Diana as a couple.

"You did nothing of the sort," said Klaus. "She hurt you because you're important to me. That's all."

Josie nodded. "Okay... so what about your family?"

Klaus began to tell her of his family. Leaving out the vampire and werewolf parts, just telling her the same basic information he'd told her about her own family.

They talked about her likes and dislikes, the things they liked to do together, their plans for the baby.

Josie smiled the more they talked, understanding why she had chosen to be with this man. He was handsome and full of life and he clearly cared about her.

He had just offered to show her his studio when her stomach rumbled.

"Sorry," she said, embarrassed.

"The fault is mine," said Klaus, getting up. "You're eating for three."

Josie smiled. "I assume you have a kitchen in this place?"

"Follow me," he said, happy when she let him take her hand to guide her downstairs.

As they walked down the grand staircase into the main foyer, Josie couldn't help but stare.

"This is your house?" asked Josie, looking around.

"Elijah lives here as well."

"Right. Your older brother. Your younger brother and sister are out of town, right?"

Klaus nodded. "Elijah is out on an errand currently. He should return soon."

"Oh, wow," said Josie, as they stepped into the kitchen. "It's weird..."

Klaus tilted his head in confusion.

"It's just... I don't remember ever seeing another house before. Another kitchen. But somehow I know this is an amazing one."

Klaus sighed as he opened the door to the pantry.

"It's good to know some portion of your memory is intact... What would you like to eat? Cheerios and bananas is a favorite of yours."

Josie shrugged. "Okay. I'll get the milk."

She went to one of the refrigerators, but Klaus immediately stopped her.

"Don't open that!" he exclaimed, putting a hand on her arm.

"Why not?" she asked, frowning.

"Milk's in the other one."

"Okay," said Josie, thinking that was a bit of an overreaction.

As if he could sense her alarm, he further explained. "Elijah sometimes keeps his pre-compost heap scraps in there. The smell for a pregnant woman can be unbearable."

Josie just nodded and went to the other fridge to get the milk.

Klaus sighed, realizing they should probably lock the blood bag fridge for the time being. He knew he needed to tell her the truth, but he was afraid she'd look at him differently.

The past several hours had been painful, but gave him hope. Even if they couldn't find a way to reverse the spell, perhaps she could find a way to love him again.

o – o – o

"It is with great sadness that we are gathered here today," began Mason. "To honor our fallen brothers and sisters, before we send their bodies back to their next of kin."

It was the next day and Mason and Klaus had quickly put together this memorial service for the 18 hybrids that had died, eight in New York fighting the Travelers, ten in Mystic Falls, killed by Christopher, Diana's son.

All the hybrids were seated in the gardens of the Mikaelson house, with beautiful flowers and pictures of the deceased surrounding them. A few of the Founder's Council were in attendance, as well as other members of the supernatural community- all the Sommers-Gilberts (including Alaric), the Forbes, Bonnie, Anna and Pearl, even Stefan and Lexi had come to pay their respects, while Damon and Enzo spent time with Josie.

It had been two days since she'd lost her memories and everyone agreed a funeral for 18 hybrids would probably be overwhelming, especially since she wasn't aware of anything supernatural beyond witchcraft.

Klaus kept thinking he'd have to tell her everything as soon as she got a vision, but one hadn't come yet. At this point, he was pretty sure Diana had found a way to block those as well as her memories.

"These warriors will never be forgotten," continued Mason. "They were our friends, our pack, our family. We hope that their spirits find peace in the afterworld, even as we mourn them here."

He nodded to Tyler, who got up and moved toward the microphone. Tyler took a deep and began speaking about Daniel and Tabitha, two of the dead hybrids. A few others followed, each of them dedicating a minute or two to say a few words about the hybrids who had passed.

Klaus forced himself to keep a steady face, even though he was more distressed than he had been in a long time. He had begun this pack as a means to an end. A group of warriors, comrades, which would fight for him, a superior race of beings that would help him achieve his goal of global domination.

He had not expected the tightness in his chest that accompanied this moment. At some point, these hybrids had become more than weapons in his bid for power, they had become his friends, his family. The only people in the world that knew the struggle of the wolf within, coupled with the intensity of being a vampire.

And he was their leader, the one who was supposed to guide them through this dark time, help them to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But how could he, when he felt at a loss himself? When he had lost so much in the past few days that he thought he may never recover?

Elijah nudged him and Klaus realized it was his turn to speak. He had insisted he have the last word at the service, knowing it was important as the pack's Alpha that he present a strong, unbroken countenance.

Klaus walked up to the microphone and regarded the group gathered. His eyes quickly scanned the crowd, knowing the one face he truly missed wasn't there.

"I wanted to thank you all for coming," said Klaus.

Though he wasn't especially grateful for anyone's presence besides the pack, he knew that if Josie had been there, she would have insisted on diplomacy and so it was in her honor he said the words.

"As an immortal beings, we are no strangers to grief," he continued. "The passage of time may heal us, but we will never forget those with whom we are kin. We carry on as best we can, honoring them with our words and deeds."

He looked around the crowd, seeing the mournful faces of his pack and he took a deep breath, forging ahead.

"Though our numbers are diminished, we remain strong. United. Even now, the next generation of our pack ripens, giving hope for a promising future." He sighed. "I know you all feel the absence of my mate today. I promise you we will find a way to make her whole. And to exact vengeance for the damage done to us... We will honor our departed kin, avenge them. Because we are wolves and our loyalty is eternal and resilient. And it extends far, far beyond death."

o – o – o

"Do I like French fries?" mused Josie, looking over the Grill's menu. "I think I do."

"Who doesn't?" asked Damon, shaking his head.

"Helps if you were around when the French fry was invented," said Enzo with a roll of his eyes.

Josie frowned. "Huh?"

"Just a figure of speech," said Damon, hastily, shooting Enzo a look. "Enzo likes to remind me I'm two years older than him."

"Right," said Enzo, looking annoyed, and diverting his eyes back at the menu.

Josie frowned, but didn't say anything. That was the third or fourth time somebody had said something odd to her and then said it was a joke. Maybe people were just nervous around her because she wasn't herself, which was an awful feeling, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something weird was going on.

She just wished she could remember something, anything from her life. Even though Klaus, Elijah and her family had spent most of yesterday and today telling her about her life, it was like hearing a story about someone else. Nothing really resonated.

Klaus had said the two guys she was hanging out with right now, Damon and Enzo, were friends of hers. She was happy to be out of the house and spending time with someone other than Klaus, Elijah and her immediate family. Damon and Enzo seemed like fun guys. It was easy to see why they'd been friends.

"So what are you plans for tomorrow?" asked Josie, after they'd ordered. "It's Valentine's Day. I think Klaus has something planned."

"I'm contemplating which of the lovely ladies of Mystic Falls I'll be bestowing the honor of my presence upon," said Enzo, smirking.

Josie chuckled. "That sounds like you don't have a date."

Damon laughed as well.

"Wouldn't be too amused, mate," said Enzo, shaking his head at Damon. "If I recall, your last lady love dumped you 'round New Years."

"That's not entirely accurate," said Damon, sipping his drink. "Elena and I never went out, so there was no dumping involved."

"Wait, you and my sister?" asked Josie. "She didn't tell me that."

"She probably didn't tell you that we had a thing too," said Damon, smiling salaciously in her direction.

Josie's eyes went wide. "You and I dated?"

"Dated's probably not the right term," said Damon, cocking his head.

"What do you mean?" asked Josie. Then she understood. "Oh."

"Ancient history, as you once put it," said Enzo.

Josie frowned. "Is there any other ancient history I should know about?" She looked at Enzo. "Did we not-date too?"

Enzo smiled. "Regrettably, no. But if you ever tire of Klaus, feel free to give me a call, gorgeous."

Josie laughed at Enzo's cheeky smile and turned the topic towards how she met both of them, hoping that the more she learned about her past, the more likely her memory could be activated.

She knew a witch's hex wasn't the same thing as regular amnesia, but maybe her brain could remember if it had enough triggers. She had to hope for that, even as Klaus worked tirelessly to find a magical solution.

After they were served and ate their lunch, Josie excused herself to go to the bathroom.

"How long are we going to have to keep this up?" asked Enzo, watching Josie walk away. "She deserves to know the truth. She's living in a house full of vampires for heaven's sake."

Damon shook his head. "That's what I told Klaus. He says she had a panic attack or something when she found out about the pregnancy. Plus Bon-Bon did some witchy-woo."

"Who the bloody hell made it his decision?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "He's got her whole family dancing to his tune." He sighed. "They're all worried about the twins. Nobody knows what that spell did to her exactly. They just know she lost her memories and her visions."

o – o – o

"Nice speech," said Mason, coming up beside Klaus.

It was an hour later and everyone was enjoying the catered food and open bar in the garden just beside where they'd held the memorial service.

"Happy to hear you thought it appropriate," nodded Klaus.

"Thanks for acknowledging Josie's absence," said Mason. "People are talking."

"Oh?" asked Klaus. "What do they say?"

"They just want to know where we go from here," shrugged Mason. "When is Josie going to rejoin us? What's going to happen now that you can't make any more hybrids?"

"I still have some of Elena's blood in storage," said Klaus. "Enough for another 20 hybrids or so... As for Josie, you know that we're doing everything we can to reverse what was done."

"But what if you can't?" asked Mason. "Who knows if we'll ever find Diana? We have no leads and she knows what would happen if you ever found her."

"Her torment would never cease," growled Klaus, his anger flaring at the mention of the vile witch's name.

"Exactly. But you know some of the pack is familiar with witchcraft. People are saying there may be no way to reverse a spell like this, done by a witch like Diana."

"Every curse has a loophole. Every witch has a price. We will find the solution and make her whole again."

"And in the meantime?" pressed Mason, knowing he was pushing the bounds of Klaus' tolerance.

"She will be told. Once it's deemed safe." He sighed at Mason's worried expression. "It's only been two days."

"I know," nodded Mason. "That's what I keep telling everyone."

"Good," answered Klaus. "I appreciate your loyalty." He paused. "Especially in light of recent events."

The unspoken implication was clear- that Klaus appreciated Mason had stuck around, even though Rebekah hadn't.

"I stayed for the pack," said Mason, not one for subtlety. "I love your sister, but she doesn't understand what being a werewolf means... She thinks I'm here because of the sire bond."

"And you don't believe that?" questioned Klaus.

Mason paused for a second, as if debating his answer.

"If I wanted to break the bond, I would," said Mason.

"That implies there is a way to do it."

"We know there's a way," said Mason. "A few of the guys overheard you and Josie talking a few months back. We know you have to turn and turn until we're not grateful for being hybrids anymore."

Klaus clenched his jaw. "And none of you decided to break it?"

"Actually a few of us did," said Mason.

Klaus was shocked.

"But no one left," supplied Mason. "That's what I'm telling you, man. We're a pack. Sire bond or not."

o – o – o

Josie had just gotten home from her afternoon with Damon and Enzo when Klaus walked into the kitchen, where she was getting a drink of water.

"Hello, love."

"Hey."

"Did you enjoy your time with Damon and Enzo?"

Josie nodded and smiled devilishly. "Yep. They told me a secret."

Klaus' face faltered. He looked genuinely disturbed by her confession.

"Do tell," he said, quickly masking his features.

"How come nobody told me Damon and I used to be a thing?"

A look of relief washed over Klaus' face before he frowned.

"Hardly worth mentioning," he said in an annoyed tone.

Josie tilted her head. "What did you think I was going to say?"

"I cannot foretell the lies that fall from Damon's lips," said Klaus, vaguely. "The only thing we have in common is you."

"Yeah, he doesn't seem to like you that much," said Josie, frowning at his odd explanation.

"Nor I, him," said Klaus.

The doorbell rang at that moment and Josie followed Klaus out into the foyer. When he opened the door, a woman stood there.

"Hello, Niklaus," said the woman. She turned to Josie. "You must be Josie."

"Who are you?" asked Josie, guessing from the woman's phrase that they hadn't met before.

"Her name is Aya," said Klaus, a little tense. "She's an old friend of Elijah's."

"Oh," said Josie, feeling a little awkward standing there. "Why don't you come in? It gets chilly after dark."

"Thank you for the inviation," said Aya, smiling as she stepped over the threshold. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Klaus just smiled tightly at Aya and asked Josie to go find Elijah and tell him to meet Klaus and Aya in Klaus' office.

o – o – o

"Why is she here?" asked Elijah, coming into Klaus' office. "I thought we insured ourselves against unwelcome vampire guests."

He stared at Aya with an impassive face.

"Come now, Elijah," said Klaus, turning on his brother. "I can't hurt to hear what she has to say."

"I'm here to help," said Aya. "News of your Oracle's predicament has spread like wildfire in the supernatural community."

Klaus stood abruptly. "You can reverse the spell?"

"We can," said Aya. "The Strix are prepared to give your Oracle not only her memories back, but restore her link to the Sight as well. All we ask in return is what we have always asked in regards to Josie."

Elijah frowned, looking at Klaus' angry face.

"What does she speak of, Niklaus?"

Aya smirked, looking from brother to brother. "You didn't tell him, Niklaus?"

"Your petty promises and threats were hardly worth mentioning," growled Klaus.

Aya turned to Elijah. "As you know, the Strix have always sought to acquire the elite of the supernatural world, including the servants of nature. An Oracle would be a welcome addition to the Sisters."

Elijah realized the Strix were one of the organizations that had previously sought to procure Josie. The ones that Niklaus had been protecting her from for nearly a year.

"So our offer is simple," said Aya. "We will make her whole again, but in return she will serve us."

 **A/N: Let me know what you thought- reviews really do help keep me motivated!**


	78. The New Normal

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Some thoughts:**

 **I love to hate the Strix (the Lucien/Aurora/Tristan arc in the Originals was probably my favorite) and they are definitely sneaky and not to be trusted. They will play a role in helping Josie get her memory back, but maybe not in the way you think. I do hope to include Aurora and Lucien as well, we'll see (this story is getting so long though).**

 **I do think I mentioned that Josie had written down a bunch of stuff she could remember about this universe, so I may bring that into the story, but considering how she's being sheltered from the truth at the moment (oh, Klaus, must you be so controlling?), I doubt anyone would let her look at it.**

 **Anyway, here's the next chapter-**

"What use to me is an Oracle that serves you?" Klaus asked Aya. "Tell me, why would I willingly hand over a weapon to a rival?"

He didn't like speaking of Josie in those terms, but it was necessary for the moment. Best the Strix were unsure of who Josie truly was to him. If they were aware, he doubted they would make so bold an offer.

"The Strix are not your enemy," Aya returned, voice calm. "In the 900 years of our existence, we have never sought conflict with you. I fail to see why that must change."

"You seek to claim what is mine," stated Klaus, moving around his desk to face Aya. "I told the last representative you sent that my Oracle was not for sale."

"Before you killed him," said Aya with narrowed eyes.

"I dislike repeating myself," smirked Klaus. "And I was feeling a bit peckish.

"As fascinating as this discourse is," Elijah cut in. "I'm afraid you came for nothing, Aya. As my brother stated, Josie is not for sale."

"Come now, Elijah," said Klaus, adopting a cordial tone. "Circumstances change. I might consider an arrangement where we both benefit from her gifts."

Klaus shot a meaningful look at Elijah.

"I'm sure you appreciate I'm unwilling to let her join the Sisters," said Klaus. "A dull sword may rust in the corner, but better it sit there, than given to an enemy that possesses the means to sharpen it."

"What do you propose?" asked Aya, crossing her arms.

"A shared arrangement," said Klaus. "She will remain here, with me. We will share any relevant visions with the Strix. You may send a representative if you wish."

"And what's to stop you from absconding with her once we've restored her?" asked Aya.

Klaus shrugged. "Nothing. This is point where I'd issue all manner of threats and insinuation. Given our history, I fail to see the point of such an exchange."

"If you make a move against the Strix, then your Oracle will never be fixed," threatened Aya.

"And I'll be no worse off than I am now," said Klaus in an unconcerned voice.

"Well, we'll have rid the world of a legion of ego-maniacal sociopaths," offered Elijah.

Klaus smiled. "True, Brother. However, I'm hoping your ex-paramour can see a compromise is best."

Aya stared at both of them before speaking.

"I must speak with Tristan," said Aya. "We will consider your offer."

o – o – o

"What is this nonsense, Niklaus?" asked Elijah, after Aya had left. "You have no intention of letting any of the Strix near her."

"Of course not," said Klaus. "But we cannot let this opportunity pass us. If what they claim is true, that they have indeed found a solution, I will take it for myself."

Elijah frowned. "The Strix are not some disorganized group of adolescent vampires. They will not take kindly to being denied what they view as theirs."

Klaus clenched his jaw, using his hearing to listen to Josie and the twins' heartbeats upstairs.

"They have the means to fix her, Elijah. I don't care if I have to kill every single one of them to get whatever spell it is. I will see her whole again. No matter what it takes."

Elijah was silent for a moment, before he nodded, clasping Klaus on the shoulder.

"No matter what it takes," he repeated.

o – o – o

It was the next day, Valentine's Day, and Josie knocked on the door to Elijah's room. A few seconds later, he opened it, smiling at her.

"Hello, my dear," he said.

"Hey, Elijah," she said, returning his smile. "Are you busy? I was wondering if you could help me with something?"

"Is something the matter?" he asked, expression serious. "Have you spoken with Niklaus...?"

"I can't tell Klaus!" exclaimed Josie. "I just mean... He's taking me out tonight. For Valentine's Day. And I want to get him something, a present, but I don't know what to get him."

Elijah had a look of hesitation. Josie guessed he wasn't a big shopper.

"Please?" she asked, putting her best pleading look on. "I'll buy you lunch."

Elijah smiled slightly. "I will assist you. Perhaps we can go for lunch in town, then browse Main Street?"

"Yes!" Josie exclaimed, smiling brightly. "Thank you!" Then she had an idea. "Do you want to invite your friend to lunch?"

Elijah looked confused. "To whom are you referring?"

"Aya," she said. "The woman who came to the house yesterday."

Elijah paused before answering. "She is otherwise occupied."

"So she didn't come to Mystic Falls to visit you?" asked Josie, confused.

"She's in town on business," he said, vaguely. "I shall meet you in the foyer at noon. We can drive into town together."

"It's fine," said Josie, waving her hand. "I can just meet you there. I need to do some shopping this morning. My clothes are getting a little tight around the middle."

"You cannot go alone."

Josie frowned. "Why not? That witch Diana already got her revenge on Klaus."

"Niklaus has many enemies," answered Elijah.

Josie raised her eyebrows. "So you're telling me that the entire time we've been together, I've had bodyguards? That's ridiculous. Who would agree to that?"

Elijah frowned. "The pregnancy has complicated matters..."

"But Klaus told me nobody knows I'm pregnant. That it's this big secret."

"One that can revealed at any time," returned Elijah. "Please, allow me to accompany you."

Josie frowned, crossing her arms. What was going on here? She almost felt like a prisoner, even though she understood it was for her safety. But there was this little tingling sensation in the back of her skull that told her something was a bit off here.

She'd asked if she kept any journals and had been told no. She'd been given a new cell phone (without any message history or photos) because they said her old one had been stolen by the evil witch, Diana, who'd taken her memories. Whenever she asked about Diana and her connection to Klaus, the subject was almost immediately changed.

Josie understood it was a sensitive topic, but she couldn't help but think they were keeping something from her. She feared she had done something terrible to deserve Diana's wrath and everyone was lying to protect her feelings.

Josie sighed, realizing that Elijah was waiting for an answer.

"If you want to help me pick out clothes, I guess you can come," shrugged Josie. "I was going to leave in an hour."

Elijah smiled in relief. "Then I shall meet you in the foyer then."

o – o – o

"Excuse me, gentlemen," said Elijah, coming into Klaus' office. "I need a word with my brother."

Klaus looked at the two hybrids he'd been speaking with and nodded.

"Keep trying to find next of kin," he told them. "Otherwise, arrange plots in a local cemetary. Mason can make the arrangements."

The hybrids nodded and left.

"Still dealing with the aftermath of New York?" questioned Elijah.

Klaus sighed. "Most of the pack had family who wished to lay them to rest themselves. I will make arrangements for the rest of them."

"How noble of you, Brother."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "I am their Alpha. They expect nothing less."

"And yet you are not one who defers to the expectations of others."

"They were loyal wolves. They deserve more than a nameless grave in the middle of the woods."

Elijah smiled. "I never thought I'd say this, but leadership suits you... Being an alpha werewolf... it suits you."

Klaus looked at Elijah with an amused glance. "Did you come to compliment my leadership skills? Or did you interrupt my meeting for another purpose?"

"I thought you should know I'm accompanying Josie to town this morning," said Elijah. "She wishes to buy some clothes."

"Alright."

Elijah paused before continuing. "You must tell her the truth. I fear she is becoming suspicous."

Klaus looked angry. "And risk her health? Her sanity?"

Elijah tilted his head. "How much longer do you think this can continue?"

"Once the Strix have presented the solution, it will no longer be a concern. She will have her memories returned to her."

"And in the meantime?" pressed Elijah. "We risk losing her trust. Even if her memories return soon, she will not easily forgive you for keeping her in the dark."

Klaus clenched his jaw in anger, knowing Elijah was right.

"I'll call her family and we'll tell her tomorrow," said Klaus. "I'd rather not derail this evening's plans."

o – o – o

"Is this the only place in town?" asked Josie, looking around the Grill. "Damon and Enzo took me here for lunch too."

"It is the only place that has an adequate lunch menu," answered Elijah. "There are a few other passable restaurants, but they are open for dinner only."

"Passable?" Josie repeated.

Elijah nodded. "Though Mystic Falls has many redeeming qualities and I am content in calling it home, there are delicacies that can only be obtained in more... cosmopolitan locales."

"Have you lived other places?" asked Josie. "Klaus said you were all born here."

"We were," confirmed Elijah. "But I have since traveled the world and though this place will always be home, there are others that hold a special place in my heart."

Josie smiled. "Like where? Klaus told me he took me to Europe during the winter break." She sighed. "I wish I could remember."

"You will, my dear," said Elijah, putting a comforting hand on Josie's arm. "Even now, Niklaus is working on a solution."

"I know," she nodded. "I don't know who this is harder on, him or me."

Elijah tilted his head in confusion.

Josie sighed, trying to formulate the words. "I feel lost. Everything I do, every thought I have, I wonder if the old me would have done it that way, or thought that way. But I don't know what I don't know, if that makes sense?"

"But Klaus," she continued sadly. "It's like, his girlfriend died, and in her place is this person who talks like her and looks like her, but isn't her. I know he loves me, but I don't love him. I can't, I don't know him. I can't imagine loving someone and then one day they wake up and look at you like you're a stranger."

"You mustn't put too much pressure on yourself," said Elijah, sensing her guilt.

"How can I not?" she asked. "He looks at me and I just feel heartache. Like my presence somehow pleases him and hurts him, all at the same time. He's been so kind to me and I don't want to hurt him. I don't want to hurt anybody." She sighed. "I called my aunt, 'Jenny', yesterday and the look on her face..."

Josie buried her head in her hands.

"This is not your fault," said Elijah, comfortingly. "You have done nothing wrong. Your relationships will improve with time. Whether or not your memories return."

Josie nodded, blinking rapidly to stave off the tears.

"So," she said, looking at the menu once again. "What are you getting?"

o – o – o

"Perhaps something from the art supply store?" mused Elijah.

It was an hour later and they were strolling down Main Street. They'd already bought Josie some new clothes prior to lunch and were now looking for a Valentine's Day gift for Klaus.

"I don't know," said Josie, looking at the window display. "I saw his studio. Doesn't he have every art supply known to man?"

"Perhaps some art-related paraphernalia?" asked Elijah, gesturing to a stack of boxers that had famous paintings printed on them.

Josie shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea. I mean we haven't even... Well, obviously I know we've been together." She gestured to her pregnant stomach. "But we haven't kissed in my memory, so..."

"Ah," said Elijah, continuing to walk down the sidewalk. "A book?"

Josie tilted her head. "Does he like to read?"

"It's a favorite pastime," confirmed Elijah. "He always appreciates a good mystery. Also non-fiction."

She smiled at him and they entered the book store together.

"Josie?" came a voice soon after they'd entered. "Elijah?"

"Elena," smiled Elijah. "What brings you into town today?"

"Just shopping," Elena answered.

"Same here," said Josie. She turned to the sales clerk that was passing by. "Excuse me, where can I find the mysteries?"

The sales clerk smiled. "I'll show you."

"I'll be right back," she told Elena and Elijah.

She followed the sales clerk and soon found herself in the mystery section of the store. She browsed the titles for a few minutes, trying to see if one stuck out.

Finally, she found one she thought Klaus would like and turned to put the others back, when she gasped.

"You scared me," said Josie, putting a hand over her heart.

"I apologize," said Aya. "That was not my intention."

"No problem," Josie returned. "It's nice to see you again."

Aya gave her a slight smile. "You as well, Josie."

o – o – o

"How is she?" asked Elena, once Josie was out of earshot.

"As well as can be expected," answered Elijah.

Elena nodded. "Klaus called the house. He wants us to come over tomorrow for dinner."

"He wishes you to be present when he tells her the truth."

Elena's eyes widened. "What is he going to say?"

"I do not believe he himself knows. But we can no longer keep her in the dark. Even now, I believe she suspects something."

Elena nodded. "I hope she'll be okay."

"She will," Elijah said, firmly. "And how are you, my dear? The transition is never easy."

"As well as can be expected."

Elijah smiled when she repeated his words back to him.

"Seriously, I'm fine," said Elena, smiling. "As long as I drink enough blood, I'm okay." She sighed. "It's weird. Stefan always described it as this horrible bloodlust. That the blood pumping through everyone's veins was so hard to ignore... But I don't feel that way. Only when I'm hungry."

"It's different for everyone," said Elijah. "I'm glad to hear you're able to control yourself."

Elena nodded. "Being a vampire isn't as bad as I thought it would be."

Elijah opened his mouth to reply, then frowned when he heard Josie talking.

o – o – o

"Did you come here to see Elijah?" Josie asked Aya. "I think he's still at the front of the store."

"I'm here," said Elijah, eyes narrowed in Aya's direction. "Josie, would you excuse us for a moment?"

"Sure," said Josie, moving towards the front of the store and away from Elijah and Aya.

As soon as Josie had turned the corner, Elijah grabbed Aya and sped her to a back storeroom, plunging his hand into her chest, gripping her heart.

"Do you come with word from Tristan or were you planning to steal your prize out from under us?" asked Elijah. "Speak quickly."

"I only wanted to speak with her," choked out Aya. "Tristan thought it odd you did not include Josie in the decision that determines her fate. He expected that from Niklaus, but not you."

Elijah frowned, tightening his grip on her heart. "How we manage our affairs is no business of yours."

"It is if we suspect you will not live up to your end of the bargain," rasped Aya.

Elijah frowned, but released her. Aya gasped, clutching the wound, even as it closed quickly.

Elijah fetched the pocket square he kept handy and wiped his bloody hand off.

"Niklaus spoke the truth," said Elijah, choosing his words carefully. "As long as the Strix perform the spell that fixes her, we will agree to share her knowledge." He stepped forward. "However, if you so much as breathe the same air as her again without our permission, I will not hesitate to remove your heart."

o – o – o

Josie stared at her reflection in the mirror. After getting home from her shopping trip, during which Elijah had been unusually quiet after running into Aya, she had immediately jumped in the shower and began getting ready for her date with Klaus.

He had been so kind and patient with her the past few days. She knew she had disappointed him with many of her actions- that she'd distanced herself physically from him (avoiding more than platonic-type touches, asking to sleep in a guest room, rather than his bed, etc), and that she had treated him the way she had everyone else (because to her there was no difference).

He said he understood, but she was hoping that the romantic setting of tonight would help them do a bit of a reset. She had greatly enjoyed the time they'd spent together and found him wildly attractive, so tonight was their chance to reframe their relationship in a romantic light.

There was a knock at the door and Josie heard Klaus' voice call out.

"Ready, love?"

She smiled and opened the door.

"Ready," she replied.

His intense eyes looked her up and down.

"New dress?" he asked.

She nodded. "My other clothes were getting a little tight." She looked down at her stomach. "I think I'm starting to show a little. Or maybe it's just bloat."

"You look beautiful," Klaus said, looking at her stomach. "I must admit I'd always thought pregnancy glow was a myth, but you are radiant."

Josie flushed a little under his compliment. "Thanks. You look nice too."

He nodded in thanks. "Shall we? Dinner awaits."

Josie nodded and took the arm he offered, letting him lead her down the stairs.

o – o – o

"This place is beautiful," said Josie, opening her menu.

Klaus smiled. "It's one of your favorites, my love."

Josie looked at the menu. "Do I have a usual order?"

Klaus nodded and explained the three dishes she usually chose from. After they'd ordered, Josie scooted a little closer to him on the bench. They were seated at an intimate corner booth.

"I have something for you," she said, reaching in her purse for the book she'd bought.

Klaus looked at the wrapped package with interest. "You needn't get me anything."

"I wanted to," said Josie, handing it to him. "I know the past few days haven't been easy. On either of us. I appreciate all your help. And your patience."

Josie emphasized her words by placing a hand on his arm and reaching up to kiss his cheek.

Klaus smiled. "I also have something for you."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet case. She took it from him and opened it to reveal a beautiful necklace with a dark blue stone surrounded by diamonds and matching earrings.

"Wow," she gasped. "They're beautiful."

"The necklace was once yours," said Klaus. "It was removed by Diana the night she attacked you, but I had the chain replaced and hoped you would wear it once again. The earrings are the true gift."

Jose smiled, fingering the delicate jewelry. "Now I feel bad about what I got."

The book was hardly in the same league as the jewelry.

"I'm simply pleased you thought to present me with a gift," said Klaus, dismissing her worry. "May I?"

Josie nodded and turned away from him, letting him put the necklace on. She shivered when his fingers brushed against the skin of her neck, enjoying the feeling of him touching her.

She put the earrings on and tilted her head. "Do I look okay?"

"Beautiful," he declared, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

She caught his arm just as he started to move his head away from her, making him pause. She angled her head up and brushed her lips against his.

The electricity she felt at his touch was overwhelming. She pushed forward, pressing her lips more firmly against his and ran her hand up his arm, stopping to cup his cheek.

Klaus deepened the kiss, tentatively running his tongue along her lips, seeking entrance. She knew they shouldn't, they were in a restaurant after all, but couldn't stop herself from parting her mouth and reveling in the feeling of his tongue against hers.

He encircled her waist with his arms and pulled her closer to him. They stayed like that for another minute before Josie pulled away, needing to catch her breath.

"Sorry," she said in a quiet voice.

Klaus tilted his head, clearly confused by her apology.

"We're in public," she explained.

"You'd be surprised how quickly I can remedy that," said Klaus in a deadly serious voice.

Josie chuckled. "I'm hungry. Plus you didn't open your gift."

Klaus glanced down at the wrapped package and picked it up. He quickly opened it.

"It's a mystery," she explained. "Elijah told me you liked them."

"I do," he confirmed. "Thank you."

"It got good reviews," she continued. "It's about a girl who loses her memory and then she has to figure out what happened to her. And her childhood friend, who's secretly in love with her, helps her and they fall in love and fight the bad guys together."

"Interesting," smiled Klaus, gazing at the cover.

"I think she gets her memories back at some point," said Josie. "But I just... I wanted you to know. I have hope. Either way, I have hope."

Klaus smiled and kissed her, thanking her again for the book.

o – o – o

"Are you cold, love?" asked Klaus.

It was an hour later and they were walking down the street.

"A little," admitted Josie. "I know I said I wanted to walk a bit before we headed back..."

"I'll call the car," said Klaus. "In the meantime..."

He shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders before picking up his phone.

"I should remember to bring a heavy jacket tomorrow," said Josie, when he'd gotten off the phone.

Klaus frowned at the mention of tomorrow, but didn't say anything.

"I'm nervous," said Josie. "I hope my professors don't say anything about all the classes I missed."

"It's only been a few days. I wouldn't worry."

Josie nodded and followed Klaus into the car that had just pulled alongside them.

They climbed into the back, but instead of letting Josie sit near the window, Klaus pulled her to his side, placing her in the middle.

"For warmth, love," he said, arm wrapping around her.

"Mmm..." she murmured, looking at him. "Well, okay."

She grinned and pulled his face down to hers, kissing him again. This time he deepened the kiss immediately and she moaned, running her hands over his thighs and his chest, wishing they weren't in a car with a driver.

Klaus dipped his hand into the slit of her dress and she was grateful she'd chosen a stretchy material that gave a little as he gripped her thigh possessively.

She knew they shouldn't be doing this, but she couldn't help it. Had it always been so electrifying between them? No wonder he'd accidently knocked her up. One kiss from him and she was willing to throw all caution to the wind.

She reached down and cupped him through his pants. He was hard and pressed himself into her hand. She was half tempted to undo his pants and stroke him here in the car, but she was acutely aware they were not alone.

He, however, didn't appear to have any qualms and nudged her legs apart, reaching farther up her dress to stroke her through the satin of her underwear. She moaned into his mouth as he pushed the thin material aside and rubbed her sensitive bud with his finger. When he removed his finger and plunged two inside her, she bit her lip to keep from crying out.

Klaus kissed down her jaw to her neck, nipping her lightly while he continued to pump his fingers in and out of her. Josie kept biting her lip, trying to keep quiet, even as she wanted to moan in ecstasy.

Finally, they arrived home and Klaus removed his fingers. He put them into his mouth and sucked them dry, causing another pulse of desire to surge through her.

After they climbed out of the car, Klaus didn't waste any time. He kissed her as they approached the house, walking her backwards and pinning her to the front door. He reached over and unlocked the door, before hiking her skirt up and wrapping her legs around his waist.

They continued to kiss and he carried her all the way up to his bedroom. They fell on the bed together and Klaus' mouth left hers to trail kisses down her neck.

He pulled back to remove his jacket and shirt and Josie took a moment to admire the hard planes of his stomach and chest. She reached up and ran her hands over him and he growled in pleasure.

He lifted her torso to access the zipper to her dress and pull it down, discarding it on the floor with her shoes. He took his time kissing her jaw and neck, before dipping his head lower to remove her bra.

She gasped when she felt him enclose her nipple in his mouth and suck hard. She felt the heat flare between her legs and she suddenly wished he wasn't taking quite so much time.

He chuckled when she bucked her hips.

"Always so impatient, my love," he whispered.

He continued kissing down her chest to her stomach, where he paused for a moment to observe the slight swell between her hips.

"Klaus," she moaned, bucking her hips again.

He chuckled once more before going lower and hooking his fingers into her panties, gliding them down her legs to completely remove them.

Then he returned to her center, releasing a hot breath on her core. She shivered in anticipation and was not disappointed when he licked her entire slit, bottom to top.

Her breathy moan seemed to encourage him and he began fingering her again, while wrapping his lips around her clit to suck and tongue it.

"Oh my god," she breathed, feeling she was close. "Yes, please..."

Klaus started going faster, pushing his fingers into her in a brutal pace, sucking her clit just a little harder and she came, feeling herself tighten around his fingers as she screamed.

He let her ride out her release on his fingers before moving up her body and placing a kiss against her lips.

"Alright, there, love?" he asked, obviously pleased with himself.

Josie just nodded, trying to get her breathing under control. Still she managed to roll onto her side and move her hand down to grasp his length. She wasn't sure when he'd shed the remainer of his clothes.

"Would you like me to return the favor?" she asked, smiling.

Klaus tilted his head and raised his eyebrows as if to say 'if you like'.

Josie grinned and made her way down his body, kissing him everywhere, enjoying the feeling of his insanely smooth skin against her hands and lips.

When she finally arrived at her destination, she took the head of him into her mouth. He growled and tangled his fingers in her hair, encouraging her to go further. She smiled and took more of him before pulling back and repeating the action.

She reached up and stroked the soft skin of his balls, cupping him in the hand she wasn't using to stroke the part of his length she couldn't fit into her mouth.

He growled loudly and pulled her off of him. At first she thought she'd done something wrong, but when he crawled on top of her, she realized his intent.

She pulled him down for a kiss and spread her legs, moaning loudly as he pushed himself into her. He linked her hands with his and began thrusting in and out of her, all the while kissing her soundly. His mouth moved to her neck, kissing and nuzzling the sensitive skin there, never letting his hips still as he moved in and out of her, causing her to moan continuously.

She was already so sensitive from earlier, she knew she wasn't going to last long. As if he could sense she was close, he pulled back and used one of his hands to rub her clit. That was it. The coil in her belly tightened and released. She screamed, holding onto him as came around him.

He continued thrusting into her, his lips finding hers again, until he stiffened and growled, spilling himself inside her. She was grateful when he didn't collapse on top of her, instead rolling onto his side, pulling her with him.

He pressed feather light kisses to her neck, running his hands over her body.

"Alright, love?" he asked quietly.

"I'm good," she whispered, drifting off to sleep. "I'm happy."

o – o – o

Josie and Klaus spent the next morning in his bed, before finally rising just after eleven. He had work to do, he said, and she needed to get ready for her two classes she would have that afternoon, though he made her promise to return for dinner with her family.

She had finished getting ready and was going through her purse, making sure she had what she needed for classes, when she found something she hadn't noticed before.

It was a piece of paper that had been wrapped around a small object. She unraveled the paper and saw there were actually two small objects taped to the paper- a key and a flashdrive.

There was a handwritten note in one of the corners: 'You are in grave danger. – Aya'

Aya had left her phone number as well.

Josie felt her heartbeat tick up, realizing Aya must have slipped this into her purse when they ran into each other at the book store. Had that meeting not been a coincidence?

Josie looked at the note again. Was this it? Proof of the niggling doubts she'd been feeling for the past few days that there was something she didn't know?

But no, she hadn't felt like she was in danger for a split second since she'd awoken. She'd felt completely safe around Klaus, Elijah and her family.

She stood there, staring at the paper, wondering what to do. It was clear she belonged here- there were pictures of her with everyone, clothes that fit her, I.D.s that had her photo.

She didn't know Aya from anyone. And yet... that little voice in the back of her head told her something was off. There was more to the story here. Did this flashdrive contain the answers? And what did this key open?

She looked at the clock. She had twenty minutes before she had to leave for school, accompanied by the ever-present bodyguards that followed her every time she left the house without either Klaus or Elijah.

She quickly pulled out her laptop and plugged the flashdrive in, scared of what she would find.

 **A/N: Let me know what you thought- I hope you enjoyed the Josie/Elijah and Josie/Klaus. Even though she has no memory of their history, she's just drawn to Klaus (at least that's what I was trying to convey).**

 **But those sneaky Strix...**


	79. The One Where Josie Finds Out

**A/N: Had no idea Tristan/Aurora were supposed to have incestuous undertones, though given some of that plot, it's not surprising. I still don't know if they will make an appearance. Mostly because this story is getting hella long- this chapter tips it over 300k!**

 **Anyway, there is a small time-jump in the middle of the chapter as I'm trying not to take too long to get to the end of the pregnancy. Hope you enjoy this one!**

There was only one file on the flashdrive. A video. Taking a deep breath, Josie double clicked the video and it sprang to life, filling the whole screen.

It took a second for her to realize what she was seeing. It was the backyard of Klaus' house. He had taken her on a few walks around the grounds, showing her the gardens, the pool, as well as what he called the 'training ground'.

The training ground had a few large, white 'sparring circles' drawn, as well as an archery range. Klaus said he was into martial arts and archery, and would host tournaments in the space.

The picture on the computer was of the training ground. From the angle, it look liked the camera was positioned from above. Josie tried to imagine the space in her head and from what she could remember, the camera was probably attached to a nearby tree.

Klaus stood there, surrounded by a bunch of people, some of whom she recognized as members of the private security company Klaus employed. Was this a tournament she was looking at?

The picture was clear, but it didn't seem like the camera had any sound. Josie just watched while Klaus was joined in the middle of the circle by another man. The other people backed away, giving Klaus and the man, his opponent, a wide berth.

Klaus and his opponent circled each other for a few moments before Klaus attacked him. They traded blows and it didn't look like either was pulling any punches.

Then, Klaus' opponent hit him so hard across the face, blood spewed out of his mouth. Josie covered her mouth in a gasp. She was even more shocked when Klaus became a blur on the screen and ended up behind his opponent.

Josie paused the video, clearly thinking something was wrong. How had he moved that fast? She rewinded and played it again, only to see Klaus blur again, while everyone else in the picture moved at a normal speed.

Josie watched breathlessly while his opponent seemed to move just as fast as him, but was stopped in mid-blur by Klaus' powerful arm. He twisted his arm and kicked- Josie saw his opponent's knee bend the wrong way and he fell to the ground.

Klaus put his foot on his opponent's chest while the rest of the people in the circle cheered. Then, to Josie horror, Klaus lifted his face to the sky and something happened to his features. His eyes turned golden, veins appeared under his eyes and Josie could just see the poke of fangs emerging from mouth.

But that wasn't the worst of it. The worst was when Klaus reached down, and with the flick of his wrist, snapped his opponent's neck. The video cut out and Josie slammed the laptop shut.

She sat back, horrified at what she had seen. Klaus had killed someone. Klaus wasn't human.

She shook her head. Maybe it wasn't real. It could be a doctored video, even if the special effects were like nothing she'd seen.

Klaus had been so kind to her. So gentle. And yet, there was a roughness to him. She had seen it when they were having sex. It was clear he was used to taking control, used to being the dominate one.

But this... no. She couldn't believe it. But witchcraft was real. A witch had erased her memory. Could monsters be real too? Had she just spent last night and this morning with one in his bed?

Her hands were shaking as she picked up the piece of paper that had accompanied the flashdrive and the mysterious key.

Even if she didn't trust this 'Aya', Josie had to know what she had to say.

She quickly dialed the number Aya had left on the piece of paper. The phone was answered almost immediately.

"Hello," came Aya's voice.

"Hi," said Josie. "This is..."

"Go to the bathroom and turn on the water," Aya commanded. "Now."

Josie frowned, then suddenly realized the logic. Could someone be listening? Was super hearing another power of the monsters? Like the speed and strength she had witnessed?

Josie went to the bathroom and turned on the faucet.

"I'm sorry," said Aya. "You understand we can't be too careful."

"What was that video?" asked Josie in a low voice. "How do I know it isn't fake?"

"That's just a small demonstration of what Klaus is capable of," said Aya. "I assure you, it's real. Klaus is a monster. A vampire."

"A what?" gasped Josie. "Vampires... they're not..."

"You've been lied to. You are his prisoner. His bird in a gilded cage."

Josie frowned. That didn't make any sense. She'd seen the pictures. Not just of her and Klaus, but her family.

"But my family..."

"They are not your real family," Aya cut in. "Your real family is looking for you. He captured you nearly a year ago."

"What? Why?"

"A dispute with your real family. He wipes your memory whenever you get too close to discovering the truth."

Josie's heart dropped in her chest. Was that the reason she had lost her memories? Had Klaus done this?

But that didn't make any sense. The pain in his eyes was real. He truly loved her. She knew it. He was devastated that she couldn't remember him.

And yet, he was hiding something. They all were. Was he truly a demon? A vampire?

"Why should I believe you?" asked Josie. "You can doctor videos easily these days."

Elijah said Klaus had a lot of enemies.

"The key opens a refrigerator in the house," said Aya. "It wasn't difficult to track down the make and model. I'm quite sure it's used to store blood. A vampire's sole sustenance."

Josie felt her heart thundering in her chest. She knew just what refrigerator Aya was talking about. The one Klaus had insisted she leave alone. He'd said it housed compost and she hadn't really given it any more thought.

"I'm trying to help you," said Aya. "I can restore your memories. Return you to your family."

"Why not just call the police?" asked Josie. "Let them know where I am?"

All the things Aya said... Josie got that same feeling she'd been getting around everyone else- she wasn't getting 100% honesty.

"These are vampires," said Aya. "The police cannot handle them."

"And you can?"

"I represent an organization that has a long history of dealing with them. I am telling you the truth. Klaus and his family are vampires. Look in the refrigerator. Call me back and I can help you."

Then she hung up.

o – o – o

"Any word from the Strix?" asked Mason, coming into Klaus' office.

"I'm afraid not," answered Klaus, looking up from his phone.

Mason sighed. "The pack is getting restless. They want Josie back."

Klaus stood and faced his Beta. "And they shall have her. Her family is coming to dinner tonight. We plan to tell her everything."

Mason's face brightened. "I'm glad to hear that. Oh, James and Danny are going with her to school today. She's insisting on driving herself."

Klaus smiled at Josie's stubbornness. "Her car is in working order."

Mason nodded, glad Klaus didn't have a problem with it.

"I'll find the keys," said Mason, leaving Klaus alone in his office once again.

o – o – o

Josie stood in the massive expanse of Klaus' kitchen. She glanced around, making sure one last time she was alone, before she slid the key Aya had provided into the lock and opened the refrigerator.

She had to suppress the gasp that shook her. There was blood. On every shelf, in every drawer. Some of it in blood bags, some of it in jars or even open containers. Her stomach reeled and she felt vomit rising up before she quickly shut the door and walked a few paces away, trying to get calm.

"Ready to go?" asked a voice from behind her.

She wheeled around to come face to face with James, one of the private security guys that had been assigned to protect her at school. Or was he really her prison guard? How could she tell the difference?

Was he a vampire, like Klaus? How could she know? Klaus walked in the sun, so obviously not all the stories about vampires were true.

"Sure," she said, when she realized James was waiting for an answer.

"You okay?" he asked, peering at her face.

"Fine," she replied, trying for a smile. "Let's go."

o – o – o

Josie couldn't concentrate. She sat near the back of the class, James and Danny seated one row behind her.

The professor was talking about social inequality and class conflict, but while she was staring straight ahead, her thoughts were a million miles away.

Klaus was a vampire. He had to be- what other explanation was there for the video and the blood in the refrigerator?

And he had killed someone. Snapped his neck while a group of people cheered him on. The thought made her sick, though maybe that guy wasn't really dead? Vampires could heal, right?

She felt like an idiot. All the vague answers and odd comments made sense now. How could she have not noticed she was living with a bunch of vampires?

But Klaus had been so kind to her. It was hard to believe he had held her captive and wiped her memory as a form of control. If he was truly as strong and fast as that video showed, then he had no need to be nice to her to keep her captive.

And she couldn't doubt his feelings, there was evidence of his love everywhere. The hurt he'd displayed when she'd pulled away from him, the gifts he'd given her, the way he'd made love to her. The way he'd caressed her slightly swollen stomach where his children were growing.

Aya could just be one of his enemies, trying to get to Josie to hurt Klaus.

But Klaus had lied. Everyone had. Was Elijah a vampire too? What about Elena and Jenna and Jeremy? She felt white-hot anger flare through her. What else had they lied about?

A tap on her shoulder jostled her out of her thoughts.

"Class is over," said James from behind her.

Josie nodded and gathered her things. She just needed a moment alone. Without Klaus or his people breathing down her neck.

As they passed one of the bathrooms, it seemed a welcome respite.

"I'm not feeling well," said Josie, pushing open the door.

"We can take you home," said James, face full of worry.

"No," she said with a fake grimace. "Just pregnancy stuff."

James' eyes widened and he suddenly looked uncomfortable. Typical guy.

"We'll be here," said James, stepping back.

Josie smiled at him and went into the bathroom, letting the door thud shut behind her, coughing to cover up the sound of her locking it. She went to the sink and looked in the mirror.

She didn't know what to think. What to do. Klaus had lied, but that didn't mean Aya was telling the full truth.

She just needed proof, either way. The most damning thing Aya had said was definitely Josie's capture. If Josie was truly Klaus' prisoner, then there had to be evidence. A police report, something.

But she couldn't exactly go to the police station with her bodyguards following her. And even then- Klaus had mentioned he knew the mayor and the sheriff personally here in Mystic Falls. He could have them in his pocket.

No, she would need to go to a police station far from here. She glanced in the mirror one more time and made a decision.

She breathed deep and turned on the faucet, just in case. She made her way over to the window, and, as quietly as she could, she pried it open and climbed out. She ran as fast as she could to the nearby parking lot, where her car was parked.

She started to breathe easier when she reached the highway, leaving Mystic Falls, and Klaus and Aya behind her. She fiddled with the necklace Klaus had given her while she cruised, hoping this had been the right decision.

o – o – o

Klaus frowned and pulled open the blood refrigerator in the kitchen. It was unlocked, which it shouldn't be. He had locked it that morning after his morning blood. Only he and Elijah had keys, so his brother must have forgotten to lock it, but that wasn't like Elijah.

He was just returning to his office when Elijah appeared before him, phone in hand.

"You aren't answering your phone," said Elijah.

"I was only in the kitchen for a moment," said Klaus, frowning at Elijah's worried face.

"Josie's gone," said Elijah, turning the phone on speaker.

"What?" growled Klaus

"She was in the bathroom," came James' voice over the phone. "Said she wasn't feeling well with pregnancy stuff. When she didn't come out for twenty minutes we broke down the door and she was gone. The window was open."

"No sign of who took her?" demanded Klaus.

"No sign of a struggle at all," answered James. "Campus security swears those windows are locked from the inside. And it wasn't broken."

The insinuation was clear- that Josie had fled, not been taken.

Klaus dug in one of his desk drawers for his mirror that was connected to Josie's necklace.

"Her car is gone too," said James, filling the silence. "She was acting weird all day. Ever since I found her in the kitchen."

Klaus stilled. "The kitchen?"

Elijah frowned at the strange look on Klaus' face. "What is it?"

"The blood refrigerator was left unlocked," said Klaus, looking accusingly at Elijah.

Elijah just looked boldly at Klaus. "I would never be so careless."

Klaus let out a sigh and quickly activated the mirror.

"If neither of us unlocked it, then someone else has a key," said Klaus.

"Maybe someone gave Josie a key?" asked James, trying to be helpful. "The faucet was left on in the bathroom to fool our hearing."

"She knows what we are?" said Klaus, horrified. "Impossible. To whom could she have spoken?"

Elijah just ground his teeth. "Aya."

"Your encounter in the bookstore?"

"She must have somehow communicated with Josie," nodded Elijah.

"Bloody Strix," growled Klaus, looking at the mirror. "She moving down the interstate. South."

Klaus and Elijah looked at each other one more time before zooming out to one of their cars, jumping in quickly.

o – o – o

Josie had been driving for hours. She didn't dare to stop. She wanted to be at least two states away before she went to a police station. There was no telling how far Klaus' influence went.

She could have sworn she was being followed, but every time she thought a car was tailing her, it would turn off, or speed up and pass her. She was probably just being paranoid.

When she finally saw the 'Welcome to South Carolina' sign, she felt a sigh of relief. Hopefully she would have answers soon.

She pulled off in the first decent-sized city she encountered and found a police station. She parked and exited the car, but when she turned to face the station, she realized she was not alone.

Aya was standing there.

o – o – o

"Careful, Niklaus," said Elijah, eyeing the speedometer warily. "An encounter with police will only delay us."

Klaus just growled, glancing over at the mirror Elijah was holding. The one that would lead them to Josie.

"She's stopped," said Klaus, eyes widening.

"Yes," answered Elijah. "In a city just over the border of South Carolina."

Klaus just nodded, stepping on the gas. "Then we're not far, Brother."

o – o – o

"What are you doing here?" Josie demanded. "How did you find me?"

Josie wondered if the car was GPS micro-chipped or something.

"I had people following you all the way," answered Aya. "I admit I was curious as to your destination."

"I want proof," said Josie, crossing her arms. "If I'm really missing then there has to be a record of it somewhere."

"Your family didn't report your disappearance to the police, given the nature of your kidnapper."

"A person can't just disappear and have no missing persons report," said Josie, now even more suspicious of Aya. "What about other relatives? Friends? Neighbors? My school?"

Aya's confident face faltered for a second and Josie knew she had her.

"You're lying," said Josie, backing away. "Klaus may be a vampire, but he didn't kidnap me."

"To be fair, he did once," came an accented voice from behind Josie.

Josie turned around and saw a man and woman she vaguely recognized standing there.

"But then he returned you to your family," the woman continued, shrugging as if kidnapping was not a big deal to her.

"Who are you?" asked Josie, backing away from the newcomers and getting closer to her car.

"Rebekah and Kol Mikaelson," said Aya, looking at the pair warily. "I see tales of the Mikaelson family split have been greatly exaggerated."

That's why they looked familiar. Josie had seen pictures of them on Klaus' phone.

"It's in everyone's interest that Josie doesn't fall in with Sisters," snapped Kol.

"Who are the Sisters?" asked Josie.

"A prestigious coven of witches," answered Aya.

"What?" exclaimed Josie. "I'm a witch?"

"After a fashion," answered Aya.

"They practice dark magic in service to a group of vampires, the Strix," Kol said.

"We only want her services in return for making her whole," said Aya. "It's a fair trade." She turned to look at Josie. "The Sisters are not slaves. They live full lives outside of their loyalty to the coven."

"Lies," spat Rebekah.

"It is so different than your life now?" challenged Aya. "Kept in a house, surrounded by guards at all times? But with us, you shall have your memories back."

"I don't have to serve some dark overlord with Klaus!" Josie shot back.

Aya lied to her, just like Klaus. Josie felt white-hot anger flare through her. Was everybody in her life a fucking liar?

"I think that means no," said Kol. "Tell Tristan better luck with the next girl."

Aya narrowed her eyes, but disappeared. Josie blinked, realizing Aya was a vampire too. Was everyone a damn vampire?

Josie turned her eyes to Kol and Rebekah.

"Did Klaus send you?" she asked them.

"Elijah called," said Rebekah. "Said you were heading south. We were in Atlanta."

"How the hell did you find me?" asked Josie.

Kol smirked. "Elijah texted a few minutes ago. That you'd stopped here."

Josie frowned at Kol's knowing smirk. "And how did he know?"

"That pretty jewel hanging around your neck's a magical object, darling," said Kol.

"Nik has a mirror that can find that jewel anywhere in the world," added Rebekah.

That same white-hot anger filled Josie and she hastily tore the necklace away from her, throwing it on the ground.

"What the fuck?" she screamed. "He didn't tell me."

"Of course not," said Kol.

"So, I take it Elijah was correct?" asked Rebekah, changing the subject. "You weren't kidnapped?"

"I left because they lied," said Josie. "All of them. Aya told me what they are. What you are. Vampires."

"Aya's a bloody vampire," said Rebekah, rolling her eyes.

"I got that," said Josie, crossing her arms. "Doesn't change the fact that Klaus lied. Straight to my face! He... we..."

Josie couldn't get the words out. He'd spent hours with her, romanced her, slept with her, and hadn't told her the truth. It made her furious.

"Nik just didn't want you to get hurt," said Rebekah.

"Don't defend him," said Kol, angrily turning on Rebekah. "Nik does whatever he pleases, no matter who it hurts." He looked back to Josie. "He just didn't want you to realize he's a monster."

"Is he always so controlling?" Josie asked angrily.

The lies, the bodyguards, the necklace (that he also lied about). This was just ridiculous.

Kol's eyebrows raised. "Why do you think we left? He was going to put us to sleep for a few centuries."

Josie gasped. "What?"

"Don't scare her, Kol," chided Rebekah.

"No," said Josie. "I want the truth. I'm sick of being lied to."

"Fair enough," said Kol. "But perhaps another time. Nik will be here any minute. No doubt with his many minions in tow. And we shall be elsewhere."

He shot Rebekah a meaningful look.

"No," said Josie. "I don't want to go back."

"It's your home," said Rebekah, confused. "Your family."

"The family that lied to me," said Josie, feeling the anger rise in her again. "I just... I can't be there right now."

She turned to get in her car, but Rebekah and Kol appeared in front of her.

"It's not safe, darling," said Kol. "They didn't lie about that. Aya and her people will not stop."

"Nik can protect you," added Rebekah.

Josie frowned, then had an idea. "Aya was afraid of you. Aren't you just as strong as Klaus?"

Kol smirked. "Of course."

"Can't I stay with you?" asked Josie. "Will you hurt me?"

"Never," affirmed Kol.

"So?" pressed Josie.

"Nik would never allow it," said Rebekah, shaking her head.

Josie cocked her head. "And you do whatever he tells you to do?"

Kol frowned and looked at Rebekah.

"He'll kill us, Kol," she said.

"He'll have to find us first," smirked Kol. "Besides, Sister. He already tried. What's to say he doesn't dagger us right now? Even if we do return his beloved? And if we flee, leaving her alone, his rage may increase."

Josie smiled, seeing she had Kol convinced, even if it was clear he would take her with him just to spite Klaus.

"So?" Josie repeated, looking at Rebekah.

Rebekah looked from Kol to Josie.

"You're bloody mad!" she finally exclaimed, but she said it in a defeated tone. "Both of you!"

"Come, darling," said Kol, putting an arm around Josie's shoulders. "Our car is this way. Did anyone tell you we're soulmates?"

Rebekah shot daggers at the back of Kol's head, but followed him and Josie back to the car, knowing this wouldn't end well.

o – o – o

"So... I'm an Oracle, not a witch. Vampires and werewolves are real. Klaus is both and all the 'private security' people are his hybrid pack. You and your siblings are the oldest vampires in the world and all vampires are made from you," Josie summarized from the backseat of Kol and Rebekah's car. "And my family in Mystic Falls isn't my actual family because I'm from another world, but we all think of each other as family anyway."

"Pretty much," nodded Rebekah.

It was a few hours later and, after a quick stop at a witch Kol knew to get a cloaking spell put on Josie, they had been driving non-stop since leaving the police station. Josie hadn't even asked where they were going, so enthralled by the tales Rebekah and Kol had been telling her.

It was so refreshing to get straight-up facts to her questions, rather than vague answers.

"Are you sure Klaus saw your message?" asked Josie, glancing at her phone.

She had turned it on silent, but Klaus, Elijah and her family had been calling and texting nearly non-stop.

"He bloody well saw it," said Kol, shaking his head. "We conveyed you were well and unharmed, but that you'd chosen alternative companions for the time being."

Josie frowned, scrolling through the text messages. They alternated between angry and plaintive. Alarmingly so.

"When he comes for us, I'm hiding behind Josie," said Rebekah, shaking her head.

"Are you kidding?" exclaimed Josie. "I'm hiding behind you!"

"He'd never hurt you," said Rebekah, shaking her head.

Josie sighed, leaning back against the car seat. "I guess I am carrying his babies."

"It's not about the children you're carrying, darling," said Kol.

"Kol's right," said Rebekah. "Nik can be a right bastard. Selfish, manipulative. But there's something about you, love. He'd never raise a hand to you."

Josie bit her lip uncomfortably, glancing at her phone, seeing that Klaus was calling again. She took a deep breath and answered.

"Hello?"

"Josie, bloody hell, where are you?" Klaus hurriedly asked.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I'm safe. I'm with Kol and Rebekah."

"When I get my hands on them..."

"Stop it!" Josie practically shouted. "They're protecting me. They're helping me."

"You are mine to protect," growled Klaus. "You are carrying my children."

"You'd think you wouldn't lie to the mother of your kids, then!" Josie spat angrily.

"Ah, yes," he answered, voice raising angrily. "After you fainted when being told witchcraft was real. You expected me to bare my fangs?"

"That was days ago!" Josie shouted. "You fucked me and you didn't even have the audacity to tell me you're not human!"

"Being a hybrid doesn't change who I am, love," he growled heatedly.

Josie sighed, closing her eyes and trying to calm her anger. "Maybe not. But I just need some time. Some... space. You lied to me. Everyone fucking lied to me."

"Clearly an error. It's a mistake I won't make again."

"Thank you," said Josie, honestly. "I appreciate that. I do."

"Where are you? I'm coming to get you."

"No, Klaus," she said. "I'm sorry. I just... can't. I'll be back. I promise."

Then she hung up, trying to fight back tears. Klaus had been so wonderful to her. So kind and patient. But she couldn't get over the lie. It stung something fierce.

She sat back, watching a parade of farm fields roll by, wondering when she'd see him again. Wondering how, as angry as she was, she could still miss him.

o – o – o

Josie cocked her head, looking in the mirror at her appearance.

"Are you sure this dress doesn't make me look like a whale?" she asked.

"You look gorgeous," said Rebekah, shaking her head. "You're not fat, you're pregnant."

"I'm only halfway through my pregnancy," frowned Josie. "Is my stomach supposed to be this big?"

"That doctor Kol compelled said it was fine," countered Rebekah. "Now we're not leaving here until you have new clothes. You can't keep wearing the same two bloody shirts and leggings every day. This is Europe. People actually care about fashion here."

Josie sighed, knowing Rebekah was right.

It had been six weeks since she'd left Mystic Falls. Six weeks since she'd spoken to anyone there. She'd exchanged a few texts with her family, letting them know she was okay, but that she needed some space.

Then she'd shut off her phone and hadn't turned it on since. She knew Rebekah texted Elijah quite often, at least once a day, to let everyone back home they were okay, and that was enough for Josie.

After that first night of straight driving, they'd spent a week or two in the Midwest. Kol was looking for a way to 'put Klaus in a box', mostly in the form of a gold dagger, rather than the silver Klaus had used on him. Kol swore it was just for leverage, but Josie wasn't so sure.

After the Midwest, they came to Europe. Kol claimed a European coven had constructed a gold dagger the year before, even though Klaus had a witch destroy it.

Josie was happy she finally had the whole story. Kol and Rebekah had been completely honest with her- answering every question she asked, as much as they could. They'd told her about the whole Original family's past, Klaus' curse, the Strix, etc. as well as what they knew of Josie's past.

She had enjoyed the past six weeks with them. True to their word, they'd kept her safe. And they were just plain fun. Kol teased and flirted with her endlessly and Rebekah always knew how to find the best places- to eat, to dance, to shop- they'd become fast friends.

She hadn't thought she'd stay this long with them. But being with them was so freeing. Nothing like being in Klaus' house, surrounded by his hybrids (as she now knew they were), with either Klaus, Elijah or her family fretting over her every second.

It had been great, but when Kol told them that morning they were leaving Europe, as he'd just learned the coven had been killed (by Klaus no less, during his search for Josie), Josie was happy to be going back. She knew she couldn't stay with them forever. The time had come to return to Mystic Falls.

"But we're leaving Europe," said Josie, turning back to look at Rebekah.

"You'll still need clothes in America," said Rebekah.

They were in a maternity clothes boutique in Milan. Kol had begged off, not one for shopping, saying he'd meet up with them later.

"True," said Josie. "Though I'm not sure I need designer maternity clothes."

"We've got to put Nik's card to good use," said Rebekah, rolling her eyes. "You know the only reason he hasn't cut off this card is because you're with us."

"I still don't like the idea of taking money from him," said Josie.

"He's the reason you need new clothes in the first place," argued Rebekah. "His freakish, hybrid supersperm knocked you up."

"True," admitted Josie. "And Nik's not a freak. He's just different."

She had taken to calling Klaus 'Nik' sometimes, as that's how Kol and Rebekah always referred to him.

"Still defending him?" asked Rebekah, eyebrows raised.

Josie sighed. "I still don't like all his controlling behavior, but I'm not mad at him. Not anymore. Now I'm just scared."

Rebekah frowned. "He'd never hurt you."

"I know. But I've stayed away for so long. I'm just scared he's going to be mad at me."

"You needed a bloody vacation!" said Rebekah, exasperated. "Who could blame you? Everyone's so grim in Mystic Falls."

Josie nodded. "I think I'll take this dress. It would be good for Jenna and Alaric's rehearsal dinner, no?"

Jenna and Alaric had finally set the date for their wedding. It was happening in about a month, on May 7th. That date was the one Josie had kept in her head as the final deadline of going back to Mystic Falls.

"It should be formal enough," agreed Rebekah.

"Hopefully it'll still fit by then," said Josie, hand on her small bump.

"Isabella said it'll stretch until you need to deliver," said Rebekah, confidently.

Isabella was the friendly Italian woman who owned the boutique.

Josie smiled. "Okay."

"Brilliant," smiled Rebekah. "Now, how about the rest of these?"

Josie smiled at Rebekah's enthusiasm. Not only was Rebekah fun, but she had embraced Josie's pregnancy. Constantly making sure she was not only safe, but comfortable and healthy, referring to herself as 'Auntie Bex'.

Josie had just finished trying on the rest of the clothes and they were sorting through what Josie would keep when Kol came into the store.

"Beautiful dress, darling," he said, looking Josie up and down, eyes resting on the generous cleavage the dress was showing.

Josie smiled. "Hey, Kol. You like?"

"Good enough to eat," he said, eyes flashing.

Rebekah rolled her eyes, even as Josie laughed.

"I thought you'd gone to find someone to eat?" mused Rebekah.

"Not the kind of delicacy I was talking about," smirked Kol, looking at Josie.

Josie giggled. "Did you get the tickets? When are we leaving for the States?"

"Three hours."

"Today?" pouted Rebekah. "But I haven't had time to shop."

"You've bought half the clothes in Europe," said Kol with a roll of his eyes.

Josie's stomach rumbling interrupted them.

"Tell you what? I'll take our pretty little Oracle for a bite to eat while you burn a hole in Nik's card," said Kol, wrapping an arm around Josie's shoulders.

o – o – o

It had been six weeks since he'd lain eyes on her. Six weeks since he'd held her, made love to her. It had possibly been the six worst weeks of his life.

Klaus stood in his studio, painting and drinking. He had spent an inordinate amount of time doing those two things the past six weeks.

"A bit morbid, no?" came Elijah's voice from behind him.

"An accurate depiction," responded Klaus, not turning to greet his brother. "Or do you not remember the Hundred Years War?"

"I do," confirmed Elijah. "I'm curious as to why that bloody affair is gracing your canvas when you should be tending to your pack."

"They have Mason," said Klaus, dismissively.

Elijah sighed, clearly tired of the argument they'd been having ever since Josie left.

"I attended last night's festivities at your request," said Klaus, finally turning to face his brother. "I accompanied James and Alice to South America in response to those Strix rumors. I have not abandoned them."

"Perhaps not entirely," Elijah admitted. "However, you are their Alpha. I do not pretend to understand the intricacies of werewolf customs..."

"Then perhaps you should keep your comments to yourself," snapped Klaus, grabbing his drink.

Elijah tilted his head. "I am only informing you of opinions I have overheard. Perhaps if you were not so immerse in this..." He waved vaguely to the studio and its contents. "You would have heard similar sentiments."

"Did you come here to lecture me on how to be a proper Alpha or do you have news?"

"We heard back from the Russian coven."

Klaus' heart seized with hope. "And?"

Elijah shook his head. "Same as the others."

Klaus growled angrily, crushing the glass in his hand and throwing it against the wall.

They had been relentlessly searching for the Strix, for the spell that would undo what was done to Josie, but they had all but vanished. They had also been speaking with various covens around the world, but the answer was always the same- without the original spell, trying to repair the damage was too risky.

"Leave me," demanded Klaus. "Have Mason send a donor. I want a fresh drink."

o – o – o

"How long until we get to Mystic Falls?" asked Josie, looking over at Kol as they sat on the plane later that day. .

Kol looked up from the magazine he was reading.

"We're making a quick stop before dropping you back home," said Kol. "Won't take long."

Josie was surprised. "Oh, where?"

Kol smiled. "Since the coven who succeeded in constructing the gold dagger is no longer with us, we're going to the last place I attempted to construct one- New Orleans."

 **A/N: Let me know what you thought! I hope Josie's actions make sense. She feels betrayed by the lies and humiliated too. Klaus' controlling nature can be hard to take, but this Josie doesn't have all the love and history with him. Don't worry- how Josie will get her memories back is coming up!**

 **And, we're going to New Orleans! Wonder what Josie, Kol and Rebekah will find? How will Klaus catch up to them?**


	80. Welcome to New Orleans

**A/N: For reference, we are a few months ahead of when Season One started for TO, but the current state of New Orleans is essentially the same- Marcel stopped the Harvest, Davina is in the attic and can sense other witches doing magic, so Marcel is using her power to control the witches. Hayley is there (sent by Josie), but we don't know what happened with her and the Crescent clan yet.**

 **Because the circumstances of the Originals arriving in New Orleans is completely different than in canon, I won't be following canon that much, but there may be some similar scenes/events.**

 **I too have hopes for Josie and Marcel's friendship, but it may take a while, considering she's arriving with Kol. Plus I still haven't decided if Josie and the Originals will be staying in New Orleans or if they're just visiting.**

 **Anyway, here the next chapter-**

"New Orleans?" Josie repeated.

"Ever been, darling?" asked Kol.

Josie shrugged. "I don't know." She paused. "What's in New Orleans?"

"My playhouse," he smirked.

Josie raised her eyebrow. "Your what?"

"Relax, darling," laughed Kol. "It's a room inside an abandoned tomb in Lafayette cemetary. The witches I used to run with, we made all kinds of magic there."

"Including gold daggers?" Josie asked, warily.

"A potential one," answered Kol. "There's a silver dagger there. With the possible means to make it gold."

"Why didn't you complete it before? Weren't you in New Orleans for a few centuries?"

Kol's face darkened. "I was daggered for most of that time. I didn't have time to complete my work. Before Bekah sold me out to our big brother."

Rebekah scoffed from the seat behind them. "I already apologized for that! I was daggered not ten years later for trying to get away from Nik. I slept for nearly as long as you."

"You can make it up to me by helping me find a witch," Kol retorted.

"Find her yourself," said Rebekah, rolling her eyes and returning to her magazine. "The only reason I put up with your bloody gold dagger obsession is I want the others."

"That is the plan, right?" Josie asked. "Once you have the gold dagger, you're going to trade it for the silver ones that Nik has?"

Kol frowned. "He betrayed your trust and you still care for him. What is it about my big brother you can't shake?"

"I just want my kids to have a father," said Josie, defensively, putting her hand on his stomach. "He can't really do that if he's stuck in a box."

Kol raised his eyebrows, clearly unconvinced.

"Let's not talk about Nik," said Josie. "Tell me about New Orleans. "What happened there?"

o – o – o

"He compelled an entire Opera House audience to laugh at people dying?" gasped Josie. "You said your father was cruel, but..."

She couldn't believe it.

"Father was cruel to all of us," said Kol. "But he there was a special place in his dark heart for his hatred of Nik."

Poor Klaus. To endure treatment like that, from someone who was supposed to love him, protect him. The more Kol and Rebekah told her of their history, the more Klaus' need to control made sense.

Josie just nodded and turned the conversation to other topics. As they drove into New Orleans, Josie found herself thinking of Klaus, as she often did, tempted to call him, as she often was.

When they had checked into their hotel suite, Josie walked onto the balcony and surveyed the street below. Music wafted up, the soft sounds of jazz accompanied by the occasional smattering of applause. Food vendors shouted advertisements for their wares, while a tour guide led a group of tourists down the street.

She got out her phone and turned it on. Ignoring all the notifications that had piled up in the last six weeks, she found Klaus' contact and hit send.

He answered immediately.

"Josie?"

"Hey," she said, nervously. "How are you?"

"Where are you? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Everything's fine. I'm coming home soon. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stayed away so long."

The confession tumbled from her lips before she could stop it.

"Tell me where you are and I'll come get you."

Josie paused, tempted to tell him. But she couldn't betray Kol and Rebekah's confidence.

"Come on, darling!" Kol's voice came from within the hotel. "The playhouse awaits. If you want to shower before we go, you'll have to hurry."

"Playhouse?" Klaus shouted. "What the bloody hell is going on? I'll kill him."

"It's just a figure of speech," said Josie, hurriedly. "Kol and I are just friends."

"He's always coveted you," spat Klaus.

Josie had to suppress a laugh. "He's slept with at least half a dozen different girls since we've been traveling. I'm pretty sure he's not hung up on me."

Klaus growled. "You are mine. I'll see you soon."

Then he hung up.

Josie frowned, hoping Klaus wasn't too upset. She'd just needed to get away. Still, she was surprised by how much she was looking forward to seeing him again.

She headed back into the hotel suite, eager for a shower after the long flight from Europe.

o – o – o

"Are they all witches?" asked Josie, peering around the square.

There was a variety of colorful people lined around Jackson Square, offering all sorts of supernatural help. Tarot readings, love potions, etc.

"Of course not," answered Kol. "Most of them are frauds. Cashing in on the tourists." His eyes zeroed in on one older lady with a scarf wrapped around her head. "But her. She's a true servant of nature."

Josie and Kol walked up to the woman and sat down opposite her. Rebekah was off shopping, not interested in Kol's witch errand.

"Good afternoon," said Kol. "Time for another?"

"I have nothing to say to you," said the woman in an unfriendly tone, eyes flickering over to Josie curiously.

"Oh... now the last time I was in New Orleans, the witches were much more accommodating."

"Things change, vampire," said the woman.

"We're not here to cause trouble," said Josie, putting a hand on Kol's arm to calm him. "We're just looking for a witch family. The Claires."

The woman's face flashed with recognition before she quickly schooled her features.

"Sorry, I don't know," she said.

"You're lying," growled Kol.

"Witches don't talk out of school in the quarter," said the woman. "The vampire won't allow it. Those are the rules... I don't break Marcel's rules."

Kol tensed beside her.

"Marcel?" Josie repeated. "I thought you said Marcel was dead?"

Rebekah and Kol had told her about Marcel, how he had been one of Mikael's casualties.

"Apparently tales of his demise have been greatly exaggerated," said Kol. "Where is he?"

Kol's eyes darkened, just the faintest hint of veins appeared beneath them and soon the woman was telling them exactly where to find Marcel.

"Call Rebekah," said Kol when they'd left the square. "She'll want to see this for herself."

o – o – o

"He's alive?" Rebekah repeated. "No, I can't believe it. He burned. I saw it."

Josie cringed at Rebekah's distraught face and put a comforting hand on her back.

"Maybe it's a different guy, same name?" Josie offered.

Rebekah didn't reply.

"Let's find out," said Kol, eyeing the bar warily. He turned to Josie. "Stay close to us."

Josie nodded and followed him and Rebekah inside.

Every eye immediately turned to look at the three of them. Josie knew it must have been a strange sight- two vampires and a pregnant human sandwiched between them.

Just a few weeks ago, she was able to hide her pregnancy with loose clothing, but now there was no hiding it.

Josie knew the moment Rebekah had spotted Marcel from the sharp intake of breath she heard.

An incredibly handsome man walked slowly toward them, who Josie assumed was Marcel.

"Rebekah and Kol Mikaelson," he said, eyes raking over them. "Welcome to New Orleans." Then he looked at Josie. "I know you."

Josie was surprised. "You do?"

Marcel smiled at her. "I never forget a face. We ran into each other the last time you were in New Orleans. Josie, right?"

"Right," she nodded.

"You here to take me up on my offer?" he asked, smirking at her.

Josie frowned. "Offer? Sorry, I... sort of lost my memory. Amnesia."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Marcel, then he looked back at the Mikaelson siblings. "Last time I saw any of the Mikaelsons, Royal Street was burning and you all were fleeing from your daddy."

Rebekah frowned. "Mikael's dead. We thought you were as well," she continued, clearly trying to keep the emotion out of her voice.

"You never looked back to find out," said Marcel.

Josie scoffed at his insult, unable to take his hypocrisy and the hurt look on Rebekah's face. "Who would? You knew they were alive and you looked... nowhere?"

Marcel's eyebrows shot up, clearly he was not used to people speaking to him that way.

"Who do you think you are?" he growled, taking a small step towards her.

A bunch of people, vampires, Josie assumed, got up and formed a circle around them.

"Back off, mate," Kol growled back, putting a protective arm on Josie. "She's with us."

Marcel tilted his head. "Last time I checked, Kol Mikaelson killed pretty, little humans, he didn't keep them as pets."

"I'm no one's pet," said Josie, angrily.

Marcel looked angry, but quickly schooled his features into an impassive expression.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"We're just passing through," said Rebekah. "Looking for a witch family. The Claires."

A myriad of emotions passed through Marcel's face before he answered. "The Claires are dead."

"All of them?" asked Kol.

"All of them," confirmed Marcel. "Sorry to have wasted your time. Can one of my boys give you a ride to the airport?"

"We can see ourselves out," said Rebekah. "Come on."

Kol gave her a strange look, but she just dragged him out of the bar with Josie trailing behind.

"So back to Mystic Falls?" Josie asked as they walked away.

"He's lying," said Rebekah, shaking her head.

Josie tilted her head. "How can you tell?"

"I was with him for decades," said Rebekah. "I always know when he's lying."

"Why would he lie?" mused Kol.

Josie nodded. "It's clear he wants us out of town. Why not just give up the Claires? And why was that witch scared of him? Aren't witches just as powerful as vampires?"

"Generally, yes," agreed Rebekah. "The covens of New Orleans were a powerful faction. And where are all the wolves? The quarter used to be crawling with them."

"Something's not right here," said Kol, looking around. "Who died and made Marcel king?"

They were all silent for a minute.

"So..." said Josie, feeling as though this 'short trip' to New Orleans just got a bit longer. "Where to next? A restaurant maybe?"

Her stomach had been growling since they left the hotel.

"I heard about this one place when I was shopping," said Rebekah. "Apparently they serve the best gumbo in New Orleans- Rousseau's. Rumor has it, a pair of witches own it."

o – o – o

"We're being followed," said Kol, as they walked down the street.

"Marcel is as paranoid as my brother," said Rebekah, rolling her eyes.

Josie frowned, looking behind them to see two men staring at them.

"They're vampires?" asked Josie.

Kol growled. "I'll deal with them."

"Don't kill them," said Josie, frowning.

"She's right," agreed Rebekah. "We're not here to start a war with Marcel."

"I don't care," said Kol in a dangerous voice. "I never liked that brat."

"I'll deal with them," said Rebekah. "Get Josie something to eat."

"You get her something to eat," said Kol, vampire eyes flashing. "I'll take care of them."

Kol disappeared before Rebekah or Josie could say anything.

"Bloody men," said Rebekah, continuing down the street with Josie.

Josie frowned, looking back in the direction Kol had gone, worried about what he would do.

o – o – o

Kol grabbed the two vampires and threw them into an alley. He smiled when they collided ungracefully with a dumpster.

"Sorry, gents," said Kol, smiling wickedly. "Five's a crowd and all. Why don't you run back to Marcel and tell him the next time he wants to know where we are, he can come himself."

"We don't take orders from you," said one of the vampires.

Kol surged forward and grasped the vampire's neck in his hand and squeezed.

"Hey now!" called Marcel's voice. "It's okay. Calm down. If you have something you want to say, I'm right here."

Kol turned and looked at the former whelp. Bloody hell, he was annoying.

"Stay away from us," growled Kol, turning to face Marcel. "Our business is our own."

"Everything that happens in this town is my business," said Marcel, eyeing the tight grip Kol still had on his vampire. "Nobody harms my guys. Those are the rules."

Kol narrowed his eyes. "And if someone breaks those rules?"

"They die," said Marcel, letting his vampire face show.

Kol almost laughed. As if he were scared of a vampire less than half his age. But Marcel knew something about the Claires, so Kol didn't feel comfortable killing him... yet.

Kol plunged his other hand into the nameless vampire's chest and extracted his heart.

"Never was one much for rules," said Kol with a slight smirk as the vampire crumpled to the ground.

He tossed the heart to Marcel, who caught it, dumbfounded.

"I trust you won't be sending any more babysitters?" asked Kol as he backed away, smirking as he went. "Have a pleasant day, Marcellus."

o – o – o

Rousseau's was a bar/restaurant in the middle of the French Quarter. Being around dinnertime, it was busy, but Rebekah compelled the waitress to seat them immediately, earning them an annoyed look from the woman behind the bar.

Kol soon joined them, saying he had 'taken care of it', but refusing to say what that meant in regards to the vampires Marcel had sent to follow them.

After they ordered and were served, Josie brought up the encounter with Marcel again.

"How many vampires were in that bar, do you think?" asked Josie. "It's like he has a whole army here."

"Seems Marcel picked up that predilection from his sire," commented Kol.

"I thought you sired him, Rebekah," said Josie. "Since you two were together?"

"Nik turned him," corrected Rebekah.

"And Nik, as you know, is quite fond of his little hybrid army," said Kol.

"But unlike Nik's pack, Marcel's vampires are hardly a threat," said Rebekah.

Josie frowned. "Aren't they older than the hybrids?"

"Most of them were nightwalkers," said Rebekah, dismissively. "And hybrids are strong for their age."

"Not to mention their lethal bite," said Kol. Then he smiled. "I'd like to see that battle."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Marcel's vamps wouldn't stand a chance."

"Hello," said a woman, coming to stand next to them. "I'm Jane-Anne Deveraux. I own this place. My waitress told me you were looking for me?"

"We were hoping you could lead us to a local family, the Claires," said Kol.

Jane-Anne frowned. "What do you want with the Claires?"

"That's our business."

"Sorry," said Jane-Anne. "We can't..."

"Jane-Anne," said another woman, striding up to Jane-Anne. "They need you behind the bar."

"For what, Sophie?" asked Jane-Anne.

"Something with the register," said Sophie.

Sophie smiled hesitantly and slipped a piece of paper under Kol's hand.

"Sorry we couldn't help you," said Sophie.

After Sophie and Jane-Anne had left them, Kol turned the paper over.

'Lafayette Cemetary, midnight,' it read.

o – o – o

"A cemetary at midnight?" said Josie, arm curled around Rebekah's as they walked towards the entrance of Lafayette Cemetary. "This place gives me the creeps."

"It's the sacred space of the New Orleans covens," said Kol. "If Marcel has the witches under his thumb, no doubt the cemetary is a sanctuary for them."

Josie just nodded and gripped Rebekah's arm tighter.

Sophie, Jane-Anne and another woman appeared at the entrance of the cemetary as Kol, Rebekah and Josie came walking up.

"Thanks for coming," said Jane-Anne. "You know my sister, Sophie. This is Sabine, another one of our coven."

"Charmed, I'm sure," said Rebekah, a little sarcastically.

"I'm Josie. This is Kol and Rebekah."

The three witches' eyes widened in recognition. Clearly they knew who exactly Kol and Rebekah were.

Jane-Anne's eyes darted around. "Come into the cemetary. We can speak freely here."

Kol, Rebekah and Josie entered and began walking with the three witches.

"So, where are the Claires?" asked Josie, looking around at the massive tombs. "Are you taking us to them?"

"They're all dead," answered Sabine, coming to stop in front of one of the tombs. "All, but one."

"And where might we find this lone, remaining Claire?" asked Kol.

"What do you want with her?" asked Jane-Anne.

"That's our business," growled Kol.

"No," said Jane-Anne, shaking her head. "You don't get to come here, demanding to know where one of our coven is, without stating what you want."

"Aren't you Kol Mikaelson?" mused Sabine. "You know how covens work. Witches don't give up one of their own."

Kol tensed, but instead of issuing more threats and possibly, attacking, he seemed to back down a bit. It was clear what he'd told Josie earlier was true- he had a great deal of respect for witches.

"There is a tomb," said Kol, after a long pause. "Here in this cemetary. There's an object in there that I want. Once I have it, we will leave New Orleans. I need a Claire's blood and magic to enter."

The three witches looked at each other.

"What object?" asked Jane-Anne.

Kol shook his head. "Nothing that can harm a witch. It's a weapon against vampires."

"He's telling the truth," said Josie. "We don't mean you any harm."

"Can this weapon be used against Marcel?" asked Sophie.

"Why would you want to harm Marcel?" asked Kol, digging for more info on what the exact situation in New Orleans was.

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Sophie. "He's out of control. He has an army backing him."

"Witches are being killed if we get caught doing magic," added Sabine.

"How the bloody hell does Marcel know if a witch is doing magic?" asked Rebekah.

The three witches paused and Kol stepped forward.

"If you want Marcel dead in exchange for the last Claire, I'd be happy to oblige," Kol smirked.

"No!" exclaimed Jane-Anne. "You can't..." she trailed off.

Rebekah sighed in frustration. "I'm going to start snapping necks if you don't tell us what is going on."

"I have been a friend to the witches," said Kol. "I could be once again, if you deliver the last Claire."

Jane-Anne sighed. She looked at Sabine, who nodded.

"We can't tell you where the last Claire is," said Jane-Anne. "Because we're looking for her too."

And then Jane-Anne explained everything. That the witches of New Orleans had tried to perform the Harvest about two months ago. That the Harvest was a special sacrifice ritual where four young girls were killed and then brought back to life as an offering to the Ancestors.

How Marcel had stopped the ritual, took the last girl to be sacrificed, Davina Claire, and his vampires had killed a number of witches that day. And now, Marcel had Davina squirrelled away somewhere, and, because Davina had absorbed all the power of the Harvest girls, she could sense when witches were doing magic and who was doing it.

"So you see, we can't just kill Marcel," said Jane-Anne. "We need to find Davina first."

Josie was horrified. "You just killed those girls? What kind of witches are you?"

Jane-Anne's face colored a little. "It's a great honor to be chosen as a Harvest girl. The ritual was working and now those girls will stay dead permanently if we don't sacrifice Davina."

"Why did anyone have to die in the first place?" argued Josie. "Do all witch covens have to do this?"

"No," answered Kol.

"How dare you judge us?" asked Sophie, voice rising in anger. "Considering the company you keep."

"We don't harm children," said Rebekah in a threatening tone.

"We're getting sidetracked," said Jane-Anne, stepping in between Sophie. "It doesn't matter. We both want Davina and Marcel has her. We can't get near her." She looked at Kol and Rebekah. "You guys have history with Marcel. Can you find her?"

Everyone looked expectantly at Kol and Rebekah, who were silent for a moment. Finally, Kol spoke up.

"As she is the one monitoring your every magical move, we can assume she is still in the city," said Kol.

Josie nodded. "Probably somewhere close. I mean he has to feed her and stuff. Can't you just compel him to tell you?"

"No doubt with our arrival, he'll be taking vervain," said Rebekah. "Along with the rest of his army."

Kol turned to look at the witches. "We'll find her. After we've used her blood and her magic to open the tomb, you can do what you please with her."

Jane-Anne nodded. "We'll be in touch."

o – o – o

"Did you get a better sense this time?" asked Jane-Anne, turning to Sophie after Kol, Rebekah and Josie had exited the cemetary.

Sophie nodded. "It's no ordinary pregnancy. I sensed... wolf and witch and vampire."

Sabine frowned. "She is none of those things."

"No, she's human," said Jane-Anne. "Which means the father of her child..."

"That's impossible," said Sabine, shaking her head. "Are you sure...?"

"Sophie's never been wrong before," said Jane-Anne, frowning slightly at Sabine. "We've all heard the rumors- Klaus Mikaelson broke his curse last year and created a pack of hybrids in Virginia."

"That doesn't mean the child is his," argued Sabine. "It could be one of the pack."

"The child is related to Kol and Rebekah," said Sophie. "I felt the connection."

Sabine was silent for a second before answering. "There's only one way to know for sure."

"No," said Sophie, shaking her head. "Marcel will kill us if we use magic."

"I'll do the spell and take the blame," said Jane-Anne, looking at Sophie. "All that matters is completing the Harvest."

"You heard Kol," said Sophie, clearly not liking this plan. "He wants Davina anyway. Once he uses her for what he wants, we'll have her back."

"You trust him?" questioned Jane-Anne. "What's to stop him from just taking Davina and supplanting Marcel?"

"She's right, Soph," said Sabine. "If we can confirm the baby is Klaus', then we'll have leverage. They'll be forced to hand over Davina."

Sophie sighed, knowing Jane-Anne wouldn't be deterred. Jane-Anne's daughter, Monique, was one of the Harvest girls. Sacrificing Davina was the only way to bring Monique back to life.

"What do you need?' asked Sophie.

"Something of Josie's," answered Jane-Anne. "Hair or blood. The rest of the supplies I have at home."

o – o – o

"Rise and shine, darling," said Kol, gently shaking Josie awake.

She groaned and rolled over. "Five more minutes."

"It's past noon," chuckled Kol. "Lunch is in the dining room. There are donuts."

Josie cracked open an eye. "Jelly-filled?"

Kol laughed. "Of course."

Josie sat up and yawned. She was just climbing out of bed when the doorbell to the suite rang.

Kol and Josie walked to the front door, Rebekah joining them. When they opened it, a woman stood there.

"I have a message for you," she said, with a blank look. "Marcel hopes you'll join him for a drink at the Abattoir this evening."

"What does he want?" asked Kol.

"He wants you to join him for a drink," the woman repeated.

"She's been compelled," said Rebekah in an annoyed voice.

Kol didn't bother saying good-bye to the woman, just shut the door.

"So what do we do?" asked Josie. "Do you think he knows we met with the witches?"

"It's possible," answered Kol.

"There's only one way to find out," added Rebekah.

"What if it's a trap?" asked Josie. "What if he's going to use that super-powered witch against you?"

"She can't kill us," said Kol, dismissively.

"Maybe he's willing to let you borrow this Davina girl to open the tomb?" mused Josie.

"We made a deal with the coven," Rebekah reminded her.

Kol growled. "I just want the bloody dagger! Not to get mixed up in some witch/vampire war."

"Then we should go to Marcel's and see what he has to say," said Josie.

o – o – o

"Do you think it wise to bring the witch here?" asked Aya, eyeing the witch that could restore Josie's memories and her Sight. "Considering the lengths we went to..."

"Together with these local brutes, we can handle two lone vampires," said Tristan, dismissively. "Even if they are Originals. I want her restored immediately, before we leave the city." He turned to Aya. "Are the others ready?"

Aya nodded.

Tristan eyed her. "What is it?"

"Nothing," said Aya, shaking her head.

"Speak your peace. What's troubling you, old friend?"

"She rejected our offer. And now we learn that she is with child?"

"All the more reason to bring her to us," argued Tristan. "Imagine a child living amongst the Mikaelsons, with their never-ending chaos and danger. We can protect her and the child."

"And what of the father?"

Tristan shrugged. "He's welcome to join us, whoever he is, as long as he agrees to abide by our rules." He paused. "I do wonder how that situation came about."

Aya had to agree. "Before we learned of her condition, I suspected she shared a bed with Klaus."

"Obviously, you were mistaken," said Tristan. "She fled from Niklaus, even after learning he did not kidnap her. Which means her loyalty is most certainly still in question."

"She was seen in the company of Kol and Rebekah Mikaelson. It is safe to presume she has spent the last six weeks with them."

"All the better," said Tristan. "The youngest Mikaelsons cannot rival any offer we make. They certainly cannot restore her memories."

Aya just nodded.

"I want that Oracle," said Tristan, his usual cool demeanor slipping for a second. "You know as well as I do, that when Finn died, the rumors that sirelines could be killed by the originator were confirmed. Our contacts tells us that Lucien has his own Seer. A powerful one, we're told. Despite his friendly overtures, I do not trust that bottom-feeder."

"Nor do I," agreed Aya.

"Then we are agreed. She will serve us."

"And then?" questioned Aya. "What happens when the Mikaelsons take back what is theirs?"

"If we succeed in our plans, we would need to confront them eventually," said Tristan. "Would you rather do that with or without the aid of an Oracle?"

Aya eventually nodded. "I'll leave a few guards here." She glanced at the witch who would restore Josie. "The rest of us will come with you."

o – o – o

Rebekah, Kol and Josie entered the Abbatoir just as the sun was setting. Though it appeared to be a solid block building from the street, when they passed through a set of large doors, Josie saw that there was a courtyard in the middle, with several stories of rooms surrounding it, accessible through outdoor walkways.

"Welcome!" came a booming voice from one of the walkways.

Marcel was leaning against the railing from the third story, looking down at Kol, Rebekah and Josie. Josie was relieved that there were only a few vampires lounging in the courtyard. Where the rest of his army was, she couldn't tell.

"I didn't think you'd show," Marcel continued.

He leaped over the side of the railing, landing with a cat's grace. Even though she'd seen Kol and Rebekah do amazing things with their vampire abilities, Josie didn't know if she'd ever get used to it.

"We were just curious, mate," said Kol, shrugging. "You can't kill us. Trapping us will only make our big brothers descend upon you."

"They know where you are?" asked Marcel. "Something tells me if they knew, they'd already be here."

"Time-delayed message straight to Elijah," responded Kol. "If I don't stop it, it'll send in a few hours."

That had been Josie's idea. Just a little insurance.

Marcel's face hardened as he approached the three of them.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," said Marcel, laughing.

Josie let out a sigh of relief. Maybe Marcel was going to offer them the Claire witch so they could be on their way.

Then Marcel's laughter abruptly stopped. "I'm gonna let them do it."

In the blink of an eye, they were surround by no less than 50 vampires. Some of them Josie recognized as Marcel's vampires from the bar, but most of them she didn't. Their leader approached, a pale man with bright blue eyes.

"Good evening," he said, not bothering to look at Kol and Rebekah, he only had eyes for Josie.

Josie gasped when Aya came up behind the man.

"Tristan de Martel," growled Kol, automatically putting a protective arm over Josie.

Rebekah did the same, on the other side.

"How long has it been?" mused Tristan.

"Not nearly long enough," growled Rebekah. She looked at Marcel accusingly. "You sold us out."

"Your brother killed one of my guys," said Marcel, angrily. "I told you to leave. Things are good in New Orleans. We don't need any Originals showing up to upset the balance."

"How did you even know they were looking for us?" asked Josie, eyeing all the vampires that surrounded them.

Kol and Rebekah would probably be fine, but Josie knew their goal wasn't to kill the two vampires, it was to take her.

"Got a blast from one of my contacts," said Marcel. "The whole supernatural world is looking for a girl named Josie with no memory, who was captured and compelled by vampires."

"She can't be compelled you moron," said Rebekah. She looked at Marcel. "Do you really think I'd do that to a young girl?"

"A hundred years is a long time, Rebekah," said Marcel. "And you and I both know Kol would."

"Kol would never hurt me!" exclaimed Josie.

"You're just confused," said Marcel, voice taking on a soothing tone. "He's compelled you."

"I can't be compelled," said Josie angrily. "I'm an Oracle."

Everyone froze at her confession. Kol and Rebekah had told her that most of the supernatural world knew that an Oracle had been discovered about a year ago, but many chalked it up to rumors.

She could see understanding flitting across Marcel's face when he turned to Tristan with an angry look. Tristan, for his part, didn't deny anything, which made Marcel even angrier, as it was clear he'd been fooled.

"You lied to me," growled Marcel. "You said she was their captive."

"I merely said she was under their sinister influence," said Tristan, unruffled by Marcel's accusation. "You inferred the rest."

"They're not here to save her, Marcel," said Rebekah. "They're here to kidnap her."

"Don't be so dramatic," said Tristan, shaking his head. "I simply wanted a chance to make an offer to you in person." He looked directly at Josie. "I apologize for the deception and the show of force. The Mikaelsons seem to consider you their personal treasure."

"I don't want to hear what you have to say," said Josie. "I'm not coming with you."

"Such loyalty," said Tristan with a slight smile. "But do they truly deserve it? What have they given you? Clothes on your back? A roof over your head? I can give you and your children anything you want. Power, money..." He stepped closer to Josie, so she could see the intensity of his eyes. "I can give you your memories."

"Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth, Tristan," growled Kol. "Before I remove it."

But Tristan wouldn't be deterred. "How awful it must be. Not knowing your past... Who you are... Where you came from." He stared deeply into her eyes. "I can fix it. Make you whole again."

Josie had never been so tempted. She knew a lot about her past- between everything Klaus and her family had told her and then Kol and Rebekah. But it was like hearing a story told about someone else.

There was no personal connection. There was a huge void in her life where her memories should be. Part of her was missing and the longer she spent without it, the more she craved it.

But she couldn't serve the man standing before her. She couldn't leave the people that cared about her, even if they had lied to her. She would never take Klaus' children away from him.

"I'm sorry," said Josie. "But my answer is no."

"May I ask why?" asked Tristan, clearly angry.

"She doesn't owe you an explanation," said Rebekah, stepping forward.

"You lied to get my cooperation," said Marcel, also stepping forward. "You said your peace. This is my home. Leave. Or I will remove you."

Tristan smiled slightly. "You think you and your pathetic group of infant vampires can remove me?" He looked around at the crowd, which had separated into the Strix and Marcel's vampires. "Remove us?"

"Bekah and I are more than a match for you," growled Kol, vampire face showing.

Tristan just smiled. "Luckily I brought more than just vampires."

Two women appeared from behind Aya. Their arms outstretched. Kol and Rebekah immediately fell to their knees.

"This is just a taste of the power you could have," said Tristan, looking at Josie. "Meet two of the Sisters."

Josie could only watch as Kol and Rebekah groaned and then, with a swish of the witches hands, had their necks broken.

"Now," said Tristan, smiling menacingly at Marcel. "Where were we?"

The witches started to retreat to the back of the crowd when they both gave a startled gasp and collapsed to the ground.

"I believe you were just leaving."

Josie felt a flood of relief at the familiar voice.

"Now, now, Brother, let's not be too hasty. After all, it's been nearly a millennium."

Josie gasped at the sight before her- Klaus and Elijah stood there, the witches' hearts in their hands, while Tristan looked at them with a mixture of fear and surprise.

o – o – o

"I'm hungry. You have anything to eat around here?"

"There are some sandwiches in the fridge," answered Mohinder.

How had he gotten stuck babysitting this witch? He should be by Aya and Tristan's side.

"I'm tired of sandwiches. Don't you people ever cook anything?" A pause. "Oh, right, vampires. I forgot."

Mohinder sighed. He couldn't wait to be rid of him. Not only was this witch completely crazy, but he was incredibly annoying.

"So, where are they? Where's this girl I'm supposed to fix?"

"They'll be here soon, Mr. Parker," replied Mohinder.

"How many times do I have to tell you, man? Call me Kai."

 **A/N: In my mind, a siphoner would be the perfect non-Diana solution to the spell that is keeping Josie away from her memories and her connection to the Sight. Plus, it wouldn't be too difficult for the Strix to get to the Prison World, with all their resources.**

 **Let me know what you thought!**


	81. Whole Again

**A/N: Glad to see there are other Kai fans out there! He was such an interesting character, I liked his storyline and his growth. He may end up not being a psychopath, but for now, I'm trying to be true to his character as it was at the beginning- which was essentially a sociopath who murdered his own siblings.**

 **I picture Josie as Zoey Deutch from Vampire Academy (when she was a brunette). Basically, she fits in with the Gilbert family- dark hair, dark eyes, pale, etc.**

 **Also, the Mystic Falls gang isn't gone for good, we're just in New Orleans land right now, so the focus will be on those characters, with a few extras tossed in of course...**

"Elijah, Niklaus..." Tristan's voice was calm, though his eyes were a mile wide in fear. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

The sea of vampires parted as Klaus and Elijah approached Tristan, who was still standing beside Josie and Marcel.

Klaus walked right up to Josie, placing his hands on her shoulders, looking her up and down.

"I'm okay," she whispered.

Elijah stood in front of Tristan. "I thought I had made our position perfectly clear in regards to Josie."

"A position from when she resided with you," countered Tristan. "Considering she's spent the last six weeks removed from your presence, it's fair to assume her loyalty was in question. I merely wished to make her another offer."

Elijah looked skeptical. "Do you always bring a small army when making an offer?"

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "I simply felt the need to bring some associates when entering a territory drenched in Klaus' sireline."

"Enough," growled Klaus. "I won't be insulted by your lies. You meant to take her by force. Give us the spell to fix her and I'll consider letting you leave here alive."

Tristan chuckled. "A spell? Surely the witches you've consulted told you- there is no spell to reverse what's been done."

"Then I suppose no point in keeping you alive," shrugged Klaus.

He advanced on Tristan who stepped back.

"I didn't say it was impossible to fix her," said Tristan. "I would consider your original offer. We share her gifts."

"Josie is mine," growled Klaus. "Tell us how to fix her now, or I'll kill you all."

"You must know, Tristan," said Elijah. "You are outmatched."

At that moment there were two gasps. The witches who'd been dead sprang to life.

"Considering the circumstances, I thought it wise they don protection spells," smirked Tristan. "I think you'll find, it is you who are outmatched now."

Josie grasped Klaus' arm, looking around at the vampires that surrounded them, including the two advancing witches.

"You didn't think we came alone?" smirked Klaus. "I'm a wolf. We travel in packs."

All of a sudden a dozen more bodies filled the courtyard, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Marcel's vampires. Josie saw they were all Klaus' hybrids.

Tristan took a step back, retreating to stand next to Aya and the two witches that formed the front line of the Strix vampires.

"I thought I smelled wet dog," sneered Tristan.

Klaus made a move to attack Tristan, but was pushed back by one of the witches. Elijah sped towards the witch, but was pushed back by Aya.

All of a sudden, chaos broke out and Josie found herself in the middle of a sea of vampire bodies. She flung her hands over her stomach, instinctively trying to protect the twins.

The world blurred and Josie found herself in a room just off the side of the courtyard and Klaus hovering over her.

"Stay here," he said, speaking over the sounds of violence out in the courtyard. "Keep out of sight."

Josie nodded and he disappeared. There was a thunderous crash and she quietly crept to the doorway, peering into the courtyard.

What she saw was enough to give her nightmares for weeks. One of the witches was dead, probably for good this time, while the other was being shielded by a number of Strix as she tried to subdue Elijah and a few of the hybrids who were fighting alongside him.

Klaus, the rest of the hybrids, Marcel and his vampires were fighting the rest of the Strix. The Strix were much older than anyone, besides Klaus of course, and it was clear they were trained in combat.

But some of the Strix had been bitten at least once by a hybrid and the venom racing through their veins was starting to slow them down.

Elijah and the hybrids fighting with him started to get the upper hand on the Strix that were surrounding the witch, while Klaus was making short work of the few Strix that stood against him. The Strix were great warriors, but they were outnumbered two-to-one, fighting two Originals and hybrids with werewolf venom in their veins.

The Strix protecting the witch were thrown aside and Elijah yanked out her heart without preamble. Josie breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

But then, one of the Strix caught her eye and she backed away, remembering she was supposed to be staying out of sight.

She felt strong hands wrap around her throat and she was shoved into the open courtyard.

"Stop!" the Strix who was holding her commanded. "Stop! Or I'll kill her."

Everyone stopped fighting immediately. Josie and the random Strix were far enough away from the rest of the group that even the fastest of them couldn't come and save her.

Klaus looked livid. Josie didn't think she'd ever seen him so angry.

"You would kill a pregnant woman?" asked Marcel, in disbelief.

The Strix holding her edged toward the open door to the street outside the Abattoir.

"Let my companions go," said the Strix. "And I won't have to."

o – o – o

"Where have you been?" asked Jane-Anne into the phone. "How long does it take to get a strand of hair from somebody?"

"I'm sorry," answered Sophie. "She's surrounded by vampires 24/7. I can't get close to her."

Jane-Anne sighed, though it made sense. They must know how valuable the girl was.

"That's not why I'm calling though," said Sophie.

"What's going on?"

"Klaus is here. And he brought his pack. And Elijah."

"All the Mikaelson siblings are in New Orleans?" asked Jane-Anne.

"Looks like it," said Sophie, peering into the courtyard of the Abattoir from the window she was peeking through. "They're all in Marcel's house. Fighting some other group of vampires."

Jane-Anne rolled her eyes. "More vampires?"

"The others are mostly dead," offered Sophie. "I'm not the best lip-reader, but I think they tried to take Josie. I don't think this is a good idea, Sis..."

"We have to get Monique back," insisted Jane-Anne. "It's already been two months. I'm not leaving my little girl in the Ancestral well. And the future of our coven is at stake."

Sophie sighed. "Klaus is the key to getting Davina back and taking down Marcel, but I don't think threatening Josie is going to work. You aren't seeing this. He has a pack of hybrids..."

"If you have another idea, I'm open to it."

"I don't know," said Sophie, shaking her head. "But from the looks of this, Kol and Rebekah can't help us either. I think we need a new plan."

o – o – o

The remaining Strix started to move towards the exit. The hand tightened on Josie's throat as she was backed away from the courtyard, trying not to stumble as she tried to keep up with the Strix's long strides.

Josie locked eyes with Klaus, trying to keep back tears.

"You'd better hope you find your end before I find you," said Klaus, looking at the Strix holding her. "Your death will last centuries."

All of a sudden, the Strix's grip slacked and something heavy hit Josie on the head. She looked down and was horrified (and relieved) to see it was the Strix's head, rolling off his shoulders.

When she turned around, she watched the Strix's body fall away to reveal a familiar face.

"Damon!" she cried, throwing her arms around him.

"Sorry, I'm late," he said, wrapping his arms around her.

Josie smiled. "You're just in time."

They turned around and saw that the fighting had continued, though two hybrids were now positioned in front of Josie and Damon, adopting a protective stance.

"Think I should help?" asked Damon, arm slung around Josie's shoulder.

They watched as Klaus extracted two hearts at once, while Elijah removed one woman's head clean off her shoulders.

"I think they're probably okay," answered Josie, cringing from the blood and burying her head in Damon's chest.

"You can have it!"

Tristan's voice rang out over all the others, all the sounds of violence. He was pinned against one of the pillars of the courtyard, Klaus had his hand plunged into Tristan's chest, fingers curled around his heart.

"Spare me and my associates," Tristan continued. "And I will give you the means to fix her."

Josie looked around and saw that most of the Strix were dead, only a few of them remained, including Aya.

Klaus removed his hand from Tristan's chest. "I'll consider your offer, on one condition."

Tristan wheezed heavily. "What is that?"

Klaus grabbed Tristan by the shoulders and snarled in his face. "If I ever get wind of you sniffing around that which belongs to me again, not only will I kill you, slowly and painfully, I'll find wherever you've stashed your sister and do the same to her."

Tristan's eyes widened and he spoke without hesitation. "Deal."

o – o – o

Davina paced around her room nervously. Why wasn't Marcel picking up his phone?

There were two non-New Orleans witches doing some crazy magic in the quarter, anti-vampire spells no less, and Marcel wasn't answering.

What if something had happened to him? What if the elders had brought in some other witches to take down Marcel in the hopes of finding her?

Once again, Davina cursed the fact that her own knowledge of magic was so limited. If she knew more, maybe she could help Marcel. Maybe she wouldn't have to be afraid of the elders any more.

After another phone call went unanswered, she flopped down on the bed. Wondering what was happening in the outside world she'd been cut off from.

o – o – o

Klaus nodded at two of his hybrids to monitor Tristan as he called whoever he needed to fix Josie.

Elijah was directing the rest of the Strix to a corner of the courtyard, along with a few of his hybrids, while Marcel's vampires were starting to drag bodies into three piles.

A quick survey showed that about a dozen of Marcel's vampires were dead, along with about twice as many Strix, and two hybrids.

Klaus steeled himself against the sight of more of his pack's bodies lying there, telling himself they had all volunteered to come and get Josie. In fact, he'd turned more away, never dreaming his trip to New Orleans would end in a full-out battle against the Strix.

Klaus saw Marcel looking at him out of the corner of his eye, but ignored him for the moment, focused on where Josie stood, watching the scene from beside Damon.

"I'm alright," she mouthed, smiling slightly at him.

His eyes locked with hers and for a second, even though they were surrounded by distance and bodies of dead vampires, all that existed in the world was the two of them.

"You want to explain what the hell is going on?" asked Marcel, interrupting the moment.

"I could ask you the same question," said Klaus, turning his gaze to his once-adoptive son. "We all thought you were dead."

Klaus fought back the words on the tip of his tongue. Why hadn't Marcel come after them? Stayed together as a family? Why, in a hundred years, had he not sent word that he was alive?

From the looks of things, Marcel had taken over their old family home and made it his own. Here, in the only place in the world he and his siblings had known true happiness during the thousand years they'd been hunted by Mikael.

What Marcel had done, or not done, really, was a blow to his heart.

Marcel shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a survivor."

Klaus raised his eyebrows. "That you are, Marcellus."

"It's Marcel," he corrected, then his eyes softened and he smiled. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to be home," said Klaus, looking around the Abattoir. "Though it's a bit different than I remember."

He eyed all the bodies that were currently being dragged away.

"I'm sorry, man," said Marcel. "I thought they were holding her captive. If I'd have known she was one of yours..."

"What?" asked Klaus, frowning. "What are you saying?"

"Marcel called the Strix," came Rebekah's voice.

Rebekah, who'd finally awoken, came to stand next to Klaus.

"You what?" growled Klaus.

"I thought Kol was being Kol," said Marcel, defensively. "He shows up in my town, dragging a pregnant girl everywhere with him. He killed one of my guys..."

"So naturally, I must have kidnapped and compelled the poor thing," growled Kol, also coming to join the group.

"I was supposed to believe she was with you willingly?" challenged Marcel, looking at Kol with narrowed eyes.

Klaus clenched his jaw, trying to keep his anger in check. It wasn't a surprise that Marcel had assumed the worst, given his history with Kol. Kol had terrorized him- killed people in front of him and fed him his blood, intending to turn him when he was barely 14.

"Enough!" shouted Klaus. He turned to Rebekah and Kol and snarled angrily. "I'll deal with you two in a minute."

"We protected Josie!" Rebekah snapped. "Cared for her."

"By bringing her here? By walking into a bloody Strix trap?" Klaus growled. "Consider yourselves lucky I neglected to bring the daggers. I can always have Mason fetch them."

Rebekah's face was the picture of shock. Klaus knew it was a low blow- threatening to send the man she used to love for the weapon that could subdue her.

"Come on, Bekah," said Kol, inclining his head toward the door.

Rebekah nodded and walked off with Kol.

o – o – o

"Where are you going?" asked Josie, as Kol and Rebekah walked up to her.

"We can't stay," said Rebekah, shaking her head. "Nothing's changed. Nik's still furious."

"For what?" asked Josie. "You helped me. Protected me."

"He never could see reason," said Kol, bitterly.

"He's such a fucking jerk," said Josie, angrily.

Damon chuckled. "Just wait, princess."

Josie frowned. "For what?"

"For your memories, darling," said Kol, almost sadly.

"Trust us," said Rebekah, looking forlorn. "Once you can remember, everything will change."

o – o – o

"I am sorry, man," Marcel said to Klaus as Kol and Rebekah walked away.

Klaus just nodded, watching as his siblings spoke with Josie on their way out of the courtyard.

"I do have a rule about kids," Marcel continued. "That generally includes unborn ones as well."

Klaus looked back at Marcel, trying not to cringe when Josie called him a jerk.

"How long you two been together?" asked Marcel. "Can't have been long, considering her condition."

Klaus blinked in surprise. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on," smiled Marcel. "I wasn't born yesterday. I see the way you look at her. Let me guess... She lost her memories and Kol and Rebekah somehow convinced her they were really her new best friends instead of you?"

"Something like that."

"The only question is why'd they come here?" asked Marcel.

"Why indeed," growled Klaus. "Whatever brought them to New Orleans and to your place of residence remains a mystery. Unless you can shed some light?"

"I'm afraid I can't help you," said Marcel. "I didn't think they'd actually show when I invited them. Thought we'd have to track them down at one of the hotels."

What could they have wanted from Marcel?

"I should go take care of my guys," said Marcel, clapping a hand on Klaus' shoulder. "Let me know if you're sticking around for a bit. We're having a party here tomorrow night."

Klaus gave him a somewhat genuine smile. It was still bewildering that Marcel was alive. Still stung that he'd chosen to stay in New Orleans rather than seek Klaus out.

"They'll be here in five minutes," said Elijah, coming to stand next to Klaus.

"Who?" asked Klaus.

"The witch," answered Elijah. "According to Tristan, it's not a spell. It's a siphoner."

"A siphoner?" Klaus repeated. "First an Oracle, then a siphoner? What's next? Bloody leprechauns walking among us?"

"I'm a leprechaun?" asked Josie, frowning as she walked up to the two brothers.

"Of course not, love," said Klaus, smiling at her. "Are you alright?"

Josie nodded. "I'm okay." She placed her hand on her swollen stomach. "How are they?"

"Sound perfect," answered Klaus. He offered his hand. "May I? This is no place for a pregnant woman."

There were still a fair amount of bodies strewn about, though Marcel's vampires and the hybrids were working as quickly as they could.

Josie bit her lip, but nodded. "Okay."

He led her through one of the adjoining rooms into a bathroom.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," he said, turning on the faucet and grabbing a towel.

Josie shrugged. "From what Rebekah and Kol told me, it's kind of the norm around here."

"Perhaps," he acquiesced, wiping the blood from his face. "And yet, I know it's still a new experience for you."

"Hopefully not for long, right?"

"Right." He sighed. "I shouldn't have lied to you. About what I am. What you are."

Josie smiled slightly. "Thanks. That means a lot... So, how did you know we were here?"

Klaus smirked. "When you called... I heard the sounds of the city in the background. I'd recognize New Orleans blindfolded. I lived here for over two centuries."

"It's a nice city. Though I haven't gotten to see much of it."

Klaus peered at her. "Why did you come here?"

Josie cocked her head to the side. "You'll have to ask Kol and Rebekah. Sorry, Nik. I'm not getting in the middle of a family..." She frowned. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You called me 'Nik'."

"Oh, sorry," said Josie, eyes wide. "Do you prefer Klaus? It's just what Kol and Rebekah kept calling you..."

His smiled. "I don't mind... I don't mind at all."

Josie returned his smile. "Nik is a nice name." She rubbed her stomach. "Have you thought about names for them?"

Klaus shook his head. "We don't know the sexes. You wanted it to be a surprise."

Josie blinked. "Oh."

Klaus tilted his head. "Do you know...?"

He tried to control his anger that Kol and Rebekah knew the sex of his babies before he did.

"Not exactly," said Josie. She dug in her purse and pulled out a sealed envelope. "It's here. It didn't feel right looking without you there."

Klaus smiled. "Let's wait. Until you're whole again. Then we can celebrate properly."

o – o – o

"Nice digs," said Kai, looking around the courtyard of the Abattoir. "Could use some sprucing up though."

"You must be Malachi Parker," said Klaus, walking up to greet him.

"In the flesh," answered Kai. "Is that her?"

Kai looked at Josie who was standing behind Klaus, between Damon and Elijah.

"Before we started," Klaus said. "Know that if any harm comes to her, you will answer to me."

"And you are?" asked Kai, raising an eyebrow.

"He's the guy who'll kill you slowly if you hurt her," said Damon, stepping up. "Me too."

Kai eyed the vampires that surrounded him, all of them glaring at him.

"Right. Don't hurt the pregnant chick. Got it. So where is it?"

"Where's what?" frowned Elijah.

"My payment," answered Kai. "The Ascendant."

Everyone just looked at him blankly.

Kai groaned. "When they pulled me out of that hellhole, they promised me I could have the Ascendant once I fixed the Oracle."

"Get Tristan," growled Klaus.

Mason nodded in the background and returned with Tristan a few seconds later.

"Hey, Tristan," said Kai. "You don't look so good."

"I've been better," responded Tristan, looking pale.

"Where's the Ascendant?" asked Kai.

Tristan reached into his pocket and handed an odd-looking device to Mason.

"What is that?" asked Josie.

"It's a key," answered Kai. "To a very special lock."

He held out his hand.

"Fix her first," said Klaus. "Then you may have it."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Fine."

Klaus looked at Josie, who stepped forward.

"Remember what I said, mate," growled Klaus. "I've had a thousand years to devise the most painful ways to die."

Kai frowned. "Is this guy for real? You sound like a B-movie villain."

Klaus clenched his jaw, but Josie put a hand on his arm.

"Can we just get on with it?" she asked.

This guy Kai was weird, and a little creepy. Even if he was ridiculously good-looking.

When he reached up to touch her arm, she tried not to flinch away. She felt a tingling sensation where he was touching her. Then just the slightest pain. Then, a lot of pain.

"Ah!" she gasped, stumbling back.

Klaus caught her and growled at Kai. In an instant, Damon and Elijah were on either side of Kai, grabbing his arms roughly.

"Are you crazy?" asked Damon, looking at Kai incredulously.

"It's not my fault," said Kai. "She's got magic in her blood. A lot." He looked at Josie with a strange expression. "What are you exactly? You feel like a vampire."

Clearly Tristan and the Strix hadn't known who the real father of Josie's children was. Of course, anyone in hearing range might begin to suspect.

"I'm human," said Josie, testily.

"Is there a problem if there's magic in her blood?" demanded Klaus.

Kai shrugged. "Not necessarily. I just have to be more precise. It was a memory curse, right?"

"Correct," said Elijah, still holding Kai tight.

"Remember what I told you," said Klaus, glaring at Kai.

He leaned over and whispered something into Kai's ear. Kai's eyes went a mile wide and he bobbed his head so fast he looked like one of those dolls.

"I won't hurt her," said Kai, quickly.

Klaus smirked and nodded at Damon and Elijah, who released Kai.

This time Kai reached for Josie's temples. The tingling sensation came back, but there was no pain. She did feel faint though. She tried to speak, but her vision started to blur and her lips didn't seem to get the message. A few more seconds and her vision faded to blackness.

o – o – o

"What the bloody hell are we going to do now?" asked Rebekah as she and Kol walked down the street. "I can't believe Nik's here."

"It doesn't matter," replied Kol. "We just have to get the dagger."

"How?" asked Rebekah. She sighed. "Maybe we ought to leave. Come back when Nik's gone back to Mystic Falls."

"You really think he'll be leaving anytime soon?" questioned Kol. "He left New Orleans because Father drove him away. Now that he knows Marcel is alive..."

Rebekah sighed. "He did love this city... You think he'll stay?"

Kol shrugged. "You know Nik, he won't like the idea that Marcel has taken what was once his. He'll do the same thing here he did in Mystic Falls."

"Marcel won't give up control of the city so easily."

"He doesn't stand a chance against Nik," argued Kol. Then he smiled. "But perhaps he'd be willing to let past grievances go?"

Rebekah frowned. "What are you thinking?"

Kol smirked. "Come, dear sister. I just had a stroke of brilliance."

o – o – o

"Fetch the rope!" Klaus demanded as he caught Josie's body.

"She's fine!" insisted Kai, nonchalantly. "She'll be up in a minute. Man, that was some curse."

He looked at his hands in amazement and then at the Ascendant still in Mason's hands.

"My payment?" he asked, holding out his hand again.

"When we've confirmed it worked," said Elijah, holding onto Kai once again.

Kai rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll do it myself." He looked at the Ascendant and said, "Phasmatos Incendia."

The Ascendant erupted into flames and Mason dropped it on the ground. By the time he bent to pick it up, it was nothing but ash.

"What the fuck was that?" demanded Damon.

"Yeah... I guess I should have mentioned," said Kai. "I didn't really want it. I just wanted it gone. After sucking out that curse, a little fire spell was easy."

At that moment, Josie gasped, waking up in Klaus' arms. She blinked a few times and he righted her so she was standing.

"Are you alright?" asked Klaus, staring into her eyes. "Do you remember?"

Josie nodded. "Yeah. I remember everything."

Memories flashed in her mind. Her entire life. Growing up in Baltimore, youngest of divorced parents. Coming to this world. Her visions. Finding a home with the Gilberts. The Salvatores. The Originals. Vampires. Werewolves. Witches.

She tried to hitch in a breath and stumbled back into Klaus' arms, feeling very dizzy.

"I've got you," whispered Klaus.

He carried her to one of the adjacent rooms and set her down on a chaise lounge, crouching beside her.

More memories kept coming. Or were they already there and now she was just remembering? She closed her eyes against the onslaught.

But there was an overwhelming sense of relief. She had her memories. She was herself again.

"How are you feeling?" he asked after a minute.

She opened her eyes, concentrating on his face.

"I'm fine." She sat up. "Just a little disoriented. But I remember everything."

His face broke out into a smile and she leaned up, cupping the back of his head and pulling him in for a kiss.

"Will you two get a room?" came Damon's sarcastic voice.

"Hey Damon," smiled Josie, pulling back from Klaus.

Damon smiled back, before turning to Klaus. "Elijah's asking for you."

"I won't be long, love," said Klaus. "Rest for a minute."

He left the room, leaving Damon and Josie alone.

"Got your head on straight again?" asked Damon, sitting beside Josie.

"Maybe. I think so," nodded Josie. "It's still a little scrambled and I have a hell of a headache. But yeah, it's all there."

She tried to get up and her head got dizzy again.

"Hey!" exclaimed Damon. "Be careful. Klaus will never forgive me if you die on my watch."

Josie chuckled a little, rubbing her temples to try and soothe the pain.

"It's good to have you back," smiled Damon. "The Gilberts will be thrilled."

Josie paled a little, feeling slightly guilty for having run away.

"How is everyone?" she asked.

Damon shrugged and gave her a brief explanation of what had been happening in Mystic Falls. Elena and her friends were nearly done with their senior year and, according to Alaric, excited about going to Whitmore for college in the fall. Jeremy was spending more and more time at Anna's, possibly trying to escape the pre-wedding madness that had descended on the Gilbert-Sommers household.

"That bad?" asked Josie.

"Jenna was veering into crazy bridezilla territory before she hired Caroline to plan the wedding."

Josie chuckled. "Smart."

She paused, trying to stand up again. This time there was minimal dizziness.

"I think I'll make it," said Josie. She turned to Damon. "Thanks for coming."

"No problem," he said. "Jeremy and Elena wanted to be here, but they had school. Klaus didn't think we were walking into a damn warzone."

Josie shook her head. "Tell me about it. Those fucking Strix. I was hoping I'd never have to see Tristan. Or his sister or Lucien."

"Who?" asked Damon, walking with Josie toward the courtyard.

"Never mind," said Josie. "And Kai! What the hell are we going to do with him? I wonder where Jo is."

Damon smiled and shook his head. "You're gonna have to back up and start again there, Oracle."

o – o – o

Klaus was on the phone when Josie and Damon walked into the courtyard.

"I'll call you back," said Klaus, putting the phone down. "You ready then, love?"

"Ready?" asked Josie.

"It's late," said Klaus. "I thought you'd want to get back to the hotel. Have a rest."

"Don't you have things to do here?" asked Josie.

She looked around and saw all the bodies were gone and some of Marcel's vampires were spraying down the courtyard to wash the blood away. The only evidence that there had been a skirmish were the four bodies of the Strix that laid to one side, looking as though their necks were freshly snapped.

"I've sent some of the pack back to Mystic Falls with Tabitha and Jason's bodies," said Klaus. "I don't intend to babysit Tristan and his acolytes all night."

"You're just going to let them go?" asked Damon, incredulously.

"We made a deal," answered Klaus. "I keep to my word."

"But where's Kai?" asked Josie, looking around, expecting to see a hybrid holding him or something.

Klaus looked around. "I would assume he slipped away. After it was clear he had siphoned the curse, I saw no need to hold him."

Josie sighed. "He's dangerous. Why do you think they locked him away in the first place? He tried to kill his family."

"The fate of his family is not my concern," Klaus said.

Josie frowned, not comforted by his words. Something told her they hadn't seen the last of Malachi Parker, but she was too tired to argue.

o – o – o

"Alone at last," murmured Klaus, nuzzling Josie's neck as they walked into the hotel suite he'd rented.

"It's late," yawned Josie. "And you're still covered in blood... I'm not exactly clean either."

"I think we can remedy that."

He tugged her into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Then he quickly shed his clothes, before turning to her.

She stepped back a bit, covering her stomach.

"Is everything alright?" he asked. "I thought..."

His unasked question was clear- from the way she'd kissed him at the Abattoir, he assumed they were back together.

"It's not that," said Josie, hastily. "It's..." She sighed. "You've probably noticed that I look kinda different than I did when I left Mystic Falls."

His eyes dropped to her swollen stomach and he smiled.

"You are beautiful," he said, stepping closer to her. "Exquisite. I never understood men when they said their pregnant wives were sexy. But you..."

He growled and got on his knees in front of her, placing his hands on her stomach. "You are bloody gorgeous." He looked up at her. "And you are all mine."

Josie smiled down at him. "I love you."

Klaus kissed her stomach. "And I, you, my love."

Then he stood up. "Enough talking." He quickly removed her clothes. "You owe me six weeks."

o – o – o

"Hey D," said Marcel, striding into the attic early the next day. "Everything alright?"

"Marcel!" Davina exclaimed, running into his arms and giving him a hug. "Thank god you're okay. I was worried when you didn't answer your phone."

Marcel smiled at her. "Just ran into a little trouble with those vampires I told you about."

"The Old Ones?"

"No. Ironically, they were trying to protect the pregnant girl."

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine," confirmed Marcel. "And the vampires trying to take her are dead or leaving town."

"Did you figure out why they wanted her?"

Marcel nodded. "She's an Oracle."

"An Oracle?" frowned Davina. "Does that mean she can See me?"

"I don't know. But she's loyal to the Old Ones- The Originals. Here." He handed Davina a strand of hair. "This is hers."

"What do you want me to do with this?" asked Davina.

"I want you to find out who the father of her baby is," answered Marcel. "Do you think you can do that?"

Davina nodded. "I can." She took the hair. "Why do you want to know?"

"She's important to the Originals, which means we need to know everything about her," answered Marcel.

He didn't share his suspicions about who the father of the child might be.

At Davina's frown, he continued. "You know I would never hurt a pregnant woman. I just want to know what we're dealing with."

"I wouldn't breathe Josie's name in front of Nik," came a voice from behind them. "He's quite protective of her."

"Who are you?" asked Davina, getting up.

"Kol Mikaelson," growled Marcel.

"Hello, I'm here too," said Rebekah, coming to stand at the threshold of the door with Kol.

"You're Old Ones," said Davina, standing beside Marcel.

"We prefer the term Originals, darling," smirked Kol. "But you can call me anything you like, little lovely."

"Enough," said Marcel, placing a protective arm over Davina. "How did you find this place?"

"Spoke to a gentleman by the name of Mr. Baudin," shrugged Kol. "He owns a local grocery, as I'm sure you're aware. He delivers food here twice a week."

"I compelled him not to tell anyone where he went," said Marcel. "He doesn't even remember that he does it."

"That, I think you'll find, was a mistake," said Kol, still smirking. "He was the only grocer in the quarter who had these curious time gaps that he couldn't remember what he'd been doing."

"So naturally, we turned him last night," said Rebekah.

Marcel clenched his jaw. "And the compulsion was gone."

Kol just kept smirking. "Luckily for you, we compelled Mr. Baudin to keep your secret... For now."

"Why would you do that?" asked Davina. "Didn't you kill one of Marcel's vampires?"

"We needn't be enemies, darling," said Kol.

"What do you want?" asked Marcel with suspicious eyes.

"To propose a temporary alliance," smiled Kol. "Against Niklaus."

 **A/N: I always thought it was dumb that they couldn't find Davina in the show. Like nobody would notice Marcel coming and going from the church? I mean she had to get food and toiletries and stuff. The French quarter in New Orleans isn't that big.**

 **Anyway, let me know what you think.**


	82. The Next Step

**A/N: I too am disappointed with Kol and Rebekah. But I was often disappointed with them in the show (Klaus and Elijah too), and I want to be somewhat true to the characters and it just didn't seem right without some Mikaelson family drama.**

 **I hadn't really thought about whether or not Josie's de-aging spell was sucked out along with Kai's siphoning. I would think not because he clearly didn't suck out all the magic in her- just the memory stuff in her head, because she had magic in her blood from the twins. But regardless, it wouldn't change the age on her driver's license, etc.**

 **Anyway, sorry for the delay on this one.**

Josie awoke with Klaus' arms around her, his front pressed against her back.

"Mmm..." she murmured, eyes still closed. "I missed this."

Klaus responded by placing feather-light kisses on her neck and shoulders.

"This is a far superior way to awaken," he whispered against her skin.

His hands trailed down her arms, coming to rest on her stomach.

"How are my little wolves?" he asked.

"You tell me," said Josie, shifting so she was on her back and could look into his face.

"They sound perfect. And how are you feeling?"

Josie shrugged. "Fine. No side effects to the spell so far. And second trimester is supposed to be the easiest."

"Excellent," he said, leaning down to kiss her.

Josie kissed him back, chuckling a little when she felt his erection rub against her hip.

"Flip over," he said, nudging a little insistently.

Josie frowned. "I'm tired of doggie style. That's all we did last night."

Klaus nuzzled her neck. "You seemed to enjoy yourself if I recall correctly."

"Just because some positions don't fit anymore doesn't mean we're going to have sex like wolves for the next few months." She looked at him with narrowed eyes, even though her tone was teasing. "It's boring. You have a thousand years' experience, let's be creative."

Klaus growled, got up and dragged her to the edge of the bed. She gasped when he shoved a pillow underneath her butt, draped her ankles over his shoulders and pushed himself inside her.

"Call me bloody boring," he growled, pulling out of her and shoving himself back in roughly.

Josie moaned, hands digging into the sheets as she tried to hang on for the ride.

o – o – o

Marcel frowned. "Let me get this straight." He looked from Rebekah to Kol. "You want to make an alliance with me to work against your own brother?"

"Nik killed Finn!" exclaimed Rebekah. "And with him my only chance at a normal life. Then he had the audacity to fetch those bloody daggers when I protested his selfishness."

"He would have done it too," said Kol. "The only reason we're not lying in our special coffins right now is because he got distracted."

"I can't live like this anymore," said Rebekah, angrily. "Always looking over my shoulder."

Marcel just tilted his head. "I feel for you guys. I really do. But I learned a long time ago not to get in the middle of Mikaelson family drama."

"We just need a bit of Davina's blood and her magic to get into an old tomb in Lafayette cemetary." said Rebekah. "There's a weapon there."

Marcel crossed her arms. "What weapon?"

"It's not to hurt him," Kol cut in. "It's simply for self-defense. Only to be used out of absolute necessity."

"What is it?" Marcel said, his voice rising in anger.

"It's a bloody dagger, alright?" said Rebekah, exasperated. "We've been searching for the past six weeks to make a gold dagger that will work on Nik."

"So what's in the tomb?" asked Davina.

"Another dagger," said Kol. "A silver one. Though we failed to acquire a gold dagger in our search, we did find this."

He held up a big diamond.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" said Kol, admiringly. "A perfect paragon diamond. Bartered a bit with a coven in Sicily."

Marcel narrowed his eyes, knowing that was Kol-speak for 'he killed them all'.

"What's that going to do?" asked Davina, looking with fascination at the diamond.

"With the right spell, the right witch," he smirked over at Davina, who scowled slightly at him. "It'll turn a silver dagger into a gold one."

"You're talking about daggering Klaus?" asked Marcel with wide eyes. "Are you crazy?"

"We just want to trade it for the silver daggers he has," said Rebekah. "That's all."

Marcel sighed. "Look, I'm sorry Rebekah. But my answer is no. Your war with Klaus isn't mine."

"It will be," snarled Kol.

"What the hell does that mean?" snapped Marcel.

"You really think Nik's just going to leave New Orleans?" asked Rebekah.

"His home is Mystic Falls," said Marcel. "Isn't that where his girl's from? Where his pack is? Why would he stay here?"

"After all these years, you really don't understand him, do you?" challenged Rebekah. "He's conquered Mystic Falls. He has the mayor in his pocket, the sheriff in the other. But it's a small town. Do you really think he's going to be satisfied with that?"

Seeing the skeptical look on Marcel's face, Kol added, "Now that he knows you took New Orleans out from under him after our father chased him away?" Kol looked at Rebekah. "Hasn't he been saying he wants a place for his pack to grow?"

Rebekah nodded. "All those wolves in the bayou. The ones you had cursed, killed. The ones you drove out of the city. I'm sure they'd be happy to be hybrids and give you the same treatment that you gave them."

Of course, neither Rebekah nor Kol mentioned that Klaus only had enough blood left to make another dozen hybrids or so.

"Is that a threat?" exclaimed Davina.

"We can't control what our brother does," shrugged Rebekah with exaggerated nonchalance. "But a gold dagger is the best bargaining chip against him. If you help us, we can ensure the deal includes a one-way ticket for Klaus and his pack out of New Orleans."

Marcel looked at Davina.

"I'll do it," Davina said.

Marcel raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure, D?"

Davina nodded. "I don't want any of them here." She looked coldly at Kol and Rebekah. "I'm sure with three vampire bodyguards a trip to the cemetary will be safe enough," she said, looking around at the attic that she hadn't left in two months. "I'll even help you make the dagger."

Kol and Rebekah grinned.

"On one condition," added Davina.

Kol's smiled fell and Rebekah furrowed her brow.

"Marcel told me you used to work with the witches of New Orleans," said Davina. "Help them develop their powers."

"I did, indeed," smirked Kol. "Fancy some witch tutoring?"

Marcel narrowed his eyes. "As long as that's all you're teaching her."

"You always assume the worst, Marcel!" said Kol with a mock hurt tone. "I can be a perfect gentlemen."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "I'll keep an eye on them." She turned to Marcel. "We get the dagger today. She gets a week worth of witchy lessons and then she makes the dagger."

"Two weeks," negotiated Marcel.

"Fine," agreed Kol.

Marcel looked at Davina, who nodded.

"Deal," said Marcel. "We wait until it's night to go to the cemetary. I don't want to risk anyone seeing Davina."

Before Kol or Rebekah could reply, Davina gasped.

"What is it?" asked Marcel, immediately concerned for her.

"There's a witch doing magic," said Davina with a faraway look in her eyes.

Marcel frowned. "Who?"

"I... I don't know," said Davina, frowning. "It's one of the foreigners from yesterday. The third one."

"The third one?" asked Kol. "The Strix only brought two witches with them."

"The siphoner," growled Marcel.

"What's he still doing in New Orleans?" asked Rebekah.

Kol shrugged. "Maybe he wanted to see the sights?"

"What's a siphoner?" asked Davina.

"A dangerous kind of witch," replied Marcel. "Josie said he killed his family. Where is he?"

o – o – o

Kai groaned. Everything hurt. Especially his head. Oh, and his stomach. He couldn't remember the last time he felt pain. The last time he'd tried to kill himself in the prison world. Was he still there? Was the past week just a dream, some sort of delusion? His father would love that. Crazy Kai, going even crazier with only his crazy self for company.

"Time to get up, son," came a voice from above him.

Kai blinked and saw a middle-aged man hovering above him. "What? Who are you?"

Kai tried to put the pieces of last night together. He remembered heading to a bar to celebrate his newfound freedom. And drinking. A lot. The last thing he remembered was getting in a fight with a bartender. He'd tried to use some of the magic he'd stolen from that Josie girl's curse, but couldn't concentrate fast enough to avoid the guy's fist.

"I'm Officer Reed," answered the man. "You got into a fight last night."

"That guy..." started Kai.

"Is a known hothead," said the officer, nodding. "We know. Still needed to bring you both in. We weren't able to cite you last night as you weren't coherent. But I'm afraid we're going to need to see some I.D. before we let you go."

Kai frowned, but handed the officer his driver's license.

"Is this a joke?" asked the officer. "This I.D. says you were born in '72. It expired more than a decade ago."

Kai sighed. "That's me."

"Look, son, if you're not honest with me, you're gonna find yourself the target of a much bigger legal problem."

Kai's head still hurt, but the fog had cleared and being hungover was not the same thing as being drunk.

"I don't think so," said Kai, standing up.

He held out his hand and the officer immediately dropped to his knees, blood pouring out of his nose.

"I've had enough of prisons," said Kai.

He just watched impassively as the man thrashed for a few more seconds before he finally collapsed completely, dropping dead on the floor.

He stooped to pick up his I.D. from the dead cop's hand and slid it back into his wallet. He made his way out of the cell and down the hall.

The guard at the door to the block of cells shared the same fate as Officer Reed. Kai made it through the rest of the police station unencumbered.

He had just stepped out into the light of day when a pair of hands grabbed him and shoved him into a nearby alley.

"What do you think you're doing here?" growled Marcel, throwing Kai back into the wall.

"Uh... It's a free country," shrugged Kai. "Why do you care?"

Marcel lifted his head, as if he were listening to something in the distance.

"Did you kill two police officers?" Marcel asked angrily.

"They were in my way," said Kai, as if it were self-explanatory.

"We don't kill locals!" Marcel practically shouted. "Those are the rules."

"So, I'm not really a by-the-book type of person," said Kai, rolling his eyes at Marcel's anger. "See ya."

He started to walk back towards the street.

"I can't allow that," said Marcel, appearing in front of Kai.

Kai raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing, man?"

"You're not allowed to kill locals," growled Marcel. "And witches aren't allowed to do magic here. This is my town and those are the rules."

"No magic?" asked Kai, incredulously. "Lame... How do you stop witches from doing magic?"

Marcel smiled sinisterly. "By killing any witch that does it."

Kai tilted his head, his look of casual indifference making Marcel even angrier.

"Oh, are you going to kill me now?" Kai mocked.

Marcel surged forward, only to be stopped by Kai's magic. Shit, the magic from that Josie girl's curse was fading. He looked at Marcel and smiled.

He grabbed Marcel's wrist and began siphoning the magic out of his blood.

"Thanks for the pick-me-up," smirked Kai. "I was kinda running out of juice there for a second."

Marcel's cries of pain just made Kai smiled more. "What... is... this?"

"You really don't know what a siphoner is, do you?" asked Kai in his mocking tone. "We can suck magic from anything... You know they call vampires the undead, right? But without any magic in your body, you're just... dead."

"Stop!" came a voice from behind him.

Kai was ripped violently away from Marcel and he went crashing into a nearby dumpster.

"Fuck!" Marcel screamed as he got up.

"What'd he do, boss?" asked the vampire who had thrown Kai away.

"Nothing, Diego," growled Marcel, turning his eyes on Kai.

Kai quickly scrambled to his feet, holding out his arm, daring Marcel and his buddy, Diego, to come closer.

Seeing Marcel wasn't deterred now that he had back-up, Kai quickly sent off a cloaking spell and disappeared.

The shock in Marcel and Diego's eyes told him that he'd succeeded in turning himself invisible. Kai didn't wait for them to try and figure out if it was just a cloak or a teleportation spell. He quickly set off in the opposite direction, determined to put as much distance between him and Marcel.

o – o – o

"Fuck!" exclaimed Josie, collapsing to the bed in a heap. "That was..." She smiled at Klaus who'd fallen beside her. "Not boring."

He chuckled. "Thanks, love."

They lay there for a minute while Josie caught her breath.

"Do you think..." she trailed off. "Oh my god!"

Klaus frowned. "What?"

She grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly, on the left side. She smiled when she felt one of the twins move again.

Josie heard Klaus' sharp intake of breath, even as his lips curled into a smile.

"It's the first time it's been strong enough for someone else to feel," said Josie, smiling. "Wow, they're strong."

"Of course they are," smiled Klaus. "They're Mikaelsons."

Josie chuckled. "I'd like to think I had something to do with it." She looked at Klaus. "I'm glad you're here for this. I'm sorry that you missed so much of the pregnancy."

He kissed her softly. "No need to apologize, love. We each played our parts in the estrangement."

Josie snuggled closer to him. "Have you thought about that envelope?"

"I thought you didn't wish to know the sex?"

"Well I didn't," said Josie. "But now that we have it..."

Klaus shifted back and disappeared for a split second before returning to bed, envelope in hand.

"Well?" he asked, waving it in her face.

"Give me that!" Josie exclaimed.

She reached for it, only for him to snatch it away.

"A little slow, hmm?" he mused, laughing as she tried to get the envelope from him.

"Come on!" she fake pouted. "Nik!"

Klaus just smiled. "I enjoy hearing my name fall from your lips."

"Yeah?" asked Josie, scooting closer. She ran her hands up his chest. "You like it when I call you Nik?" Her hands ran down his arms.

Klaus chuckled when she tried to grab the envelope out of his hands.

"Damn vampire speed," she grumbled.

"No need to pout, my love," smiled Klaus. "Shall we open it together?"

"Okay," she said, cuddling up to him.

She bit her lip while he tore the envelope open. Her eyes went wide when she saw what the piece of paper said.

"Wow," she said, looking at Klaus and kissing him.

"Indeed," he said, returning the kiss.

o – o – o

"We really should get up," said Josie, a few hours later.

Klaus murmured something inaudible into her hair and pulled her tighter against him.

"We can't lay around in bed all day," said Josie, squirming away from him to look him in the face.

"Why is that?" inquired Klaus. "You can't be hungry."

Josie eyed the platters of food he'd had sent up. Breakfast in bed had been delicious, but she knew there were things they should do.

"I'm almost five months pregnant," said Josie. "With twins. I'm always hungry. Besides, don't you have things to do? Like Alpha things?"

"Perhaps later," he conceded.

Josie eyed him skeptically. "You're telling me if you checked your phone right now there wouldn't be a bunch of missed calls and texts from Mason and the rest of the pack?"

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "I'd be willing to wager more than half the calls concern you. You've been missed, my love. And not just by me."

"So does that mean we're leaving for Mystic Falls soon?"

She wasn't sure how she felt about that. She missed her family, her friends, the pack. But now that they were in New Orleans, she felt like there were a few things she should try and do, with her knowledge of everything that was going on.

Plus, she'd always wanted to come here, knowing New Orleans was an awesome city. She hadn't been disappointed with what little she'd seen so far.

"Do you wish to return immediately?" asked Klaus.

Josie shrugged. "It was good to FaceTime with my family yesterday, but I wouldn't mind spending some time here."

Klaus smiled. "New Orleans is beautiful. I should know, my family built it. This was the one place, in all my years of running, that I truly felt I had a home."

Josie tilted her head. "And what about Marcel?"

Klaus' smile turned to a frown in an instant. "Did Rebekah and Kol tell you of our shared history with him?"

Josie nodded, not wanting to admit she'd known all along. "I'm sorry. I can't believe he didn't tell you he was alive."

Klaus growled. "I made Marcel everything he is... Treated him like a son. When we thought Mikael had killed him, we mourned him. And instead of seeking us out, he took New Orleans and made it his own. Tell me... what did you think of the Abattoir? The compound?"

"It seemed nice," said Josie. "Could use a remodel."

"That was once our family home," said Klaus. "We built it. Did you notice the crest? With the 'M'? For Mikaelson."

Josie sighed. "You want it back. Don't you?"

"I know we've built our life in Mystic Falls," said Klaus, running a hand down her cheek. "And I will honor that commitment. If I'm honest, yes. I'd love nothing more than to take back the city I built."

Josie sighed and shook her head. Some things she just couldn't change, no matter what.

"What about the pack?" asked Josie.

Klaus smirked. "I think some of them might enjoy living in a bigger city. Some may stay in Mystic Falls, if they choose. Maintaining power in such a small town is not difficult."

"New Orleans would be much more of a challenge," countered Josie.

"And yet it has so much more to give," offered Klaus. "You grew up in a big city. Do you not see the appeal?"

Josie hated that he had a point. She was a city girl, through and through. Mystic Falls was great because of the people, not because of Mystic Falls itself. And the truth was, the people would soon be changing. Elena was going off to college, Jeremy would probably be gone in a year (as would her high school friends), Jenna and Alaric would be starting their own family. Damon had been hinting he might leave as well.

Maybe staying in New Orleans and building a life with Klaus was the right next step. She wasn't sure she wanted her kids to grow up in the homogenized small-town of Mystic Falls. New Orleans had a wealth of cultures and ethnicities all mashed together, not to mention an active supernatural community.

With her knowledge of the original storyline and her visions, maybe she could prevent some of the worst from occurring. It was still dangerous, but then hadn't Mystic Falls proven to be so as well?

"Maybe we could stick around for a few weeks?" offered Josie. "See how it goes? Jenna and Alaric are getting married in a month, so we have to be back in Mystic Falls for that."

"Of course," confirmed Klaus, smiling at her acquiescence to at least give New Orleans a chance.

"So, where to first?" asked Josie. "I..."

She drifted off as she was hit with a vision. A few of the hybrids, including Mason, were walking down the street in the dark. A couple of Marcel's nightwalkers came up to them, telling them that werewolves weren't allowed in the quarter. A fight broke out. One hybrid died and all of the nightwalkers were dead by the end.

"What did you see?" asked Klaus.

She explained what she saw.

"It's only noon," concluded Josie, looking at the clock. "Maybe you can go to Marcel. Make sure he understands his guys should stay away from ours?"

Klaus smiled when she called the pack 'ours'.

"I will try the diplomatic approach," said Klaus, kissing her. "Before I slaughter them all."

"Thank you," said Josie, grabbing her phone. She scrolled through her text messages. "Mind if I grab lunch with Damon? He says he's leaving for Mystic Falls soon."

Klaus nodded. "You are not to go anywhere without an escort."

At the defiant look in her eyes, he continued. "I'm serious, love. I don't doubt that most of the supernatural community will soon be aware you are carrying my children. I know you've disliked being a pawn in the past."

Josie sighed, knowing he was right. "Okay. As long as Damon counts as an escort."

Klaus clenched his jaw, but nodded stiffly.

"Great," smiled Josie, texting Damon back. "He'll be here in half an hour."

o – o – o

"Hey," smiled Josie, giving Damon a hug. "Come in. I just have to grab my purse."

Damon hesitated on the threshold of the hotel suite.

"He's not here," Josie supplied.

Damon smiled and stepped in.

"Still no love lost, huh?" asked Josie, walking over to the table with her purse.

Damon shrugged, looking around the suite. "Three hours in a confined space with Klaus is plenty for me."

Josie giggled. "Was the flight that bad?"

"You know me," smirked Damon. "I don't like to be ordered around. He didn't like it when I reminded him I'm not one of his hybrids. Repeatedly."

Josie smiled and walked back over to the door. "Let's go! There's a stop I want to make after lunch and I'm hungry!"

Damon just smiled, shaking his head, and followed her out the door.

o – o – o

"You're kidding me?" exclaimed Josie, around the last spoonful of raspberry cheesecake. "Enzo and Bonnie?"

Sure, it had happened in the original storyline, but that was like way in the future. When Bonnie had gotten over her dislike of vampires and Enzo was a much tamer vampire.

"How did that happen?" asked Josie.

"Apparently it involved a lot of alcohol," offered Damon. "One minute they were arguing, the next they were... you know."

Josie smiled. "Good for Bonnie. I like Enzo." She sipped her decaf coffee. "And what about you?"

Damon raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

"I know the Petrova doppelgangers have been your thing for a hundred some-odd years, but there are other fish in the sea."

Damon rolled his eyes. "I don't think I'm going to find her in Mystic Falls."

"Does that mean what I think it means?"

Damon shrugged. "I promised Alaric I'd be his best man."

"The wedding's in a month."

"I know."

Josie sighed. "You're not the only one considering leaving Mystic Falls."

Damon looked surprised.

Josie was distracted before she could explain. A woman ran by the table, looking panicked. Josie's eyes followed her.

"Do you know her?" asked Damon, looking at the woman's retreating form.

"Her name's Jane-Anne Deveraux," answered Josie. "She's a witch here in New Orleans."

Why was Jane-Anne running?

Josie's nervousness increased tenfold when she saw Sophie follow behind her.

"That's her sister," Josie said, biting her lip. "You don't think it's Marcel and Klaus fighting or something, do you?"

Josie couldn't take it anymore and leapt up from the table.

Damon appeared in front of her immediately. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"I'm just going to see..." Josie trailed off.

Screams erupted from around the corner.

"You're not going anywhere!" Damon said, pointedly looking at her vacated seat.

"None of them will hurt me," Josie insisted. "Marcel has this thing about kids." She crossed her arms. "It's Klaus, Damon. Please."

Damon looked thoroughly annoyed. "Klaus can handle himself."

"Klaus doesn't have the benefit of foresight," argued Josie. "I can negotiate with Marcel."

Damon clenched his jaw. "Stay behind me."

Then he walked towards the sounds of the shouts and screams, Josie following close behind.

o – o – o

"Marcel!" called Klaus, striding into the Abattoir with Mason at his side.

"Hey, man," Marcel appeared in front of them. "How's it going? Party's not until midnight." He glanced at Mason. "You're friends are invited, of course."

"Really?" asked Klaus, raising an eyebrow. "Is the rest of your organization aware of that?"

Marcel frowned. "What happened?"

"Nothing... yet."

Marcel scoffed, able to read between the lines. "You're getting mad at me for something that hasn't even happened yet?"

"We asked around," said Mason, a little angry. "We know what you did to the werewolves."

"I put them in their place," Marcel fired back. "I make the rules in my town. I decide who's allowed in the quarter."

"Your town?" Klaus repeated, feeling more and more angry towards his once-adoptive son.

"That's right," smirked Marcel.

Klaus laughed mockingly. "That's funny. Because when I left a hundred years ago, you were just a pathetic little scrapper still trembling from the lashes of the whips of those who would keep you down... And now look at you. Prince of the city. I'd like to know how."

"Why?" asked Marcel, tilting his head. "Jealous? You've conquered a tiny town in nowhere Virginia with your little pack of hybrids. And I rule the great city of New Orleans. Look around! The locals know their place, they look the other way. I got rid of the werewolves. I even found a way to shut down the witches."

Mason growled when Marcel mentioned the werewolves.

"Be careful, Marcellus," warned Klaus.

"It's Marcel!" he growled. "And New Orleans is mine. You wanna pass on through? You wanna stay a while? Great. What's yours is mine, but it is... mine. My home, my family, my rules. And I'm not the prince of the city, friend. I'm the king!"

Mason scoffed and turned to Klaus. "You're not going to listen to this bullshit, are you?"

"I'd be very careful if I were you, Marcellus," said Klaus in a low, dangerous voice. "Great power invites challenge."

"Is that a threat?" asked Marcel, eyes narrowed. "If you think the only source of my power is here." He looked around at all his vampires that surrounded him. "You're wrong."

Klaus smirked. "No need to get defensive." He glanced around at all the vampires scowling at him and Mason. "Tell your lackeys to stay away from my pack."

Then he turned and swept out the door.

o – o – o

Josie frowned at the scene before her. What was going on? People were running, shouting in every direction. The windows of several storefronts spontaneously burst, as if by magic.

"Oh, yeah," came an eerily familiar voice. "Miss me? Josie, was it?"

"Kai," she breathed, stepping away from him.

"Oh, don't worry," said Kai, casually gripping the wrist of a man who was sagged on the ground. "With all these helpless witches around, I'm not interested in your magic."

"Kai, let him go," said Josie, looking at the pained man's face. "You're killing him."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Why is everyone so concerned with human life today?"

"What are you doing here?" asked Damon. "I thought you were from Seattle or something?"

"Portland, actually," said Kai, dropping the man on the ground. "But when I heard the witches of this town weren't allowed to do magic, I figured I'd grab some mojo on my way out of town."

Josie looked at the still man's face. He'd died. He'd died and he hadn't even fought back, he was so afraid of Marcel's retribution. Josie looked beyond Kai and noticed he'd left a few bodies.

"So leave," said Damon. "You got your fix."

"I can take more than a few witch's magic," said Kai, looking over his shoulder. "I'll never have it so easy anywhere else."

"These shops are filled with magic objects," said Josie. "Can't you use one of them?"

"That feels like a lot of work," sighed Kai. He laughed. "These witches don't even fight back!"

"Leave," growled Damon. "Right now."

"Or what?" asked Kai, tilting his head.

Damon rushed Kai, but Kai was prepared and Damon groaned, holding his head.

"Now vampires aren't as good as witches," said Kai, grabbing Damon's shoulder and draining him. "But this one is just for fun."

"Stop it!" shouted Josie.

Josie scrambled in her purse, grabbing her knife. Josie managed to put a good gash into Kai's shoulder before he twisted away and sent her flying to the ground, but the momentary lapse in concentration gave Damon the advantage he needed.

Kai went flying into a nearby brick building and Josie watched the world spin crazily as Damon sped her away. Damon set her down on her feet and staggered back.

"You okay?" asked Josie, looking at Damon.

Damon breathed deep. "Yeah. Other than almost getting my soul sucked out, I'm great."

Josie sighed. "I'm sorry. We should have stayed at the café."

Damon rolled his eyes and stood up straight. "Just don't tell Klaus."

"It wasn't your fault, Damon."

"He won't see it that way," argued Damon.

Josie shrugged. "It's probably best we don't mention it. Kai won't be a problem. What he wants isn't in New Orleans."

Damon frowned. "What does he want?"

"I'll explain later. I may have you look up a doctor at Whitmore when you go back to Mystic Falls... Anyway, if you're feeling okay, you mind if we make that stop I was telling you about?"

Damon tilted his head. "Is this stop dangerous?"

Josie shook her head. "No."

That was probably not a lie.

"Where are we going then?" asked Damon.

Josie smiled. "To see a special witch."

"I thought we just did that?"

Josie chuckled. "This is a different one."

She winced and put her hand on her stomach when one of the twins kicked hard.

"Those guys giving you a hard time?" asked Damon.

"A little bit," admitted Josie. "Here." She pulled his hand to feel the kick.

"Whoa," smiled Damon. "Strong little guy... Or girl."

Josie smiled back. "Yeah, I don't know which one that is."

Damon raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't I tell you?" asked Josie. "We're having one of each. A boy and a girl."

 **A/N: I'm not sure if these are the only pups they'll have or not and I really wanted a mini-Klaus, but couldn't fathom not having a girl either, so... yeah.**

 **And yes, Kai is leaving us for now, sadly, but he's not gone forever- I wanted to focus on the New Orleans power plays for a bit.**

 **Please do let me know what you thought!**


	83. The Enemy of My Enemy

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews! Sorry about the delay. We've had so many houseguests, it's been hard to carve out time for writing. I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things as the weather starts to turn though.**

 **I do like Marcel as a character, but I definitely agree that his treatment of the witches was harsh. The Harvest ritual was horrible (what the witches did to Cami's brother was appalling), but he took advantage of it and used it for his own terror campaign.**

 **Anyway, here's the next chapter-**

Marcel sped towards St. Anne's Church. He'd gone back to the compound to make sure preparations for tonight's party were underway, only to be confronted by Klaus and one of his hybrids. And not just any hybrid. Mason. Klaus' Beta. The one who, rumor had it, had broken Rebekah's heart.

Despite their long estrangement, Marcel could admit he still had feelings for her. How could he not? She was the only girl he'd ever loved. There had been women since her of course, but nothing could compare to Rebekah.

Was that why he'd agreed to her and Kol's scheme so easily? Of course, he didn't want Klaus to stick around if he had designs on the city. Klaus alone was dangerous, but by Marcel's count, there were still six hybrids walking around the quarter. That didn't include the rest of the pack that was in Mystic Falls.

Kol and Rebekah had told him that Klaus had about 30 hybrids in his pack currently. It was a lot, but paled in comparison to how many nightwalkers Marcel had- about 150, most of them much older than the hybrids.

Of course, Marcel also had Davina. Nothing Klaus had could compare to her power. Except maybe his lady love, the Oracle. Davina was powerful, but being able to predict the future... Yeah, it would be best if they traded control of New Orleans for the gold dagger.

As he ran towards the church and Davina, he thought back to his conversation with Klaus. It was infuriating, that after everything he'd accomplished, Klaus still treated him like a child. An upstart kid who'd just been playing at being king until the true rulers, the Originals, came back to take over.

"Hey, D," said Marcel, walking through the door of the attic. "How's it going?"

Davina turned from the book she was reading and smiled. "Kol gave me this."

She held up a grimoire.

"Where are Kol and Rebekah?" asked Marcel, glancing around the room.

"Rebekah said she was hungry," said Davina. "And Kol..."

Marcel followed Davina's gaze to where Kol was exiting the small bathroom.

"Hello," said Kol, nodding at Marcel.

"Hey," responded Marcel. "I got a visit from your brother a little while ago."

Kol tilted his head. "I'm guessing from the scowl on your face it was Nik... What'd he want? Issuing threats already?"

Marcel clenched his jaw. "Something like that. He decided to rake me over the coals for something my guys hadn't even done yet."

"I would guess Josie's visions are back, then?" mused Kol. "If that's the case, we should be cautious. Keep your conversations vague, only use specifics if you must."

"That's good advice," came a voice from the door. "I'll try not to take that personally, Kol."

Marcel, Kol and Davina looked at Josie, who was standing there with the vampire who had saved her life the day before. Damon, was it?

"How did you find us?" growled Marcel.

Damon rolled his eyes and looked sideways at Josie. "How do you think? For some grand leader of vampires, you're not that quick, huh?"

"Damon!" exclaimed Josie, elbowing him.

Davina frowned. "Who are you?"

"I'm sorry," said Josie, trying for a smile. "This is Damon. I'm..."

"The Oracle," finished Davina. Her eyes slid to Josie's baby bump. "Klaus' wife."

Josie bit her lip. "Uh, I'm not his wife..."

Damon smirked. "Close enough."

Josie huffed and turned her attention back to Davina. "I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to talk."

"Right," said Marcel, sarcastically. "Are you the vanguard before Klaus and his wolves come for us?"

"Klaus doesn't know I'm here," said Josie. "I trust that you're not going to hurt me. I'm just asking you to do the same. I have important information."

Davina, Marcel and Kol looked at each other.

"Come on," said Damon, exasperated. "What damage do you think a pregnant lady can do?"

Josie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Stop trying to help, Damon."

"They're already here," said Davina, looking them up and down. "You can come in."

o – o – o

"What the hell happened here?" asked Mason, glancing around at the chaos in the street.

"One would think this... untidiness were due to magic," commented Elijah. "Except we know that witches are forbidden to do magic."

Klaus surveyed all the broken windows and merchandise strewn about. He, like Mason and Elijah, could smell blood on the air.

"Perhaps Marcel had his men perform a rousting of the witches?" mused Klaus. He turned to Mason. "This is the Cauldron. Where the witches live and work in the quarter."

"It wasn't Marcel," came a voice from behind them. "It was that siphoner."

"I was led to believe he wouldn't be staying in New Orleans," responded Klaus, turning around to see two women standing there. "How do you know of the siphoner?"

"Besides the fact that he drained half a dozen of our coven?" said one of the women bitterly.

"News travels fast here," said the other woman. "A lot of people saw him siphon your girlfriend's curse yesterday."

"Who are you?" growled Klaus, unhappy these two women seemed to know so much about him and he had no idea who they were.

"Sophie Deveraux," said the first woman. "This is my sister, Jane-Anne."

"We were hoping to run into you," said Jane-Anne.

Klaus cocked his head. "Pray tell, why is that?"

"We have a proposition for you."

o – o – o

"Nice place," said Damon, looking around the attic.

Marcel, Kol and Davina all scowled at him. Damon pretended not to notice, standing close beside Josie.

Josie rolled her eyes. "You'll have to excuse him. Kai just tried to suck the magic out of his blood."

Marcel's scowl deepened. "Where is the siphoner? The daywalkers I sent after him said they couldn't find him."

"He's probably gone," answered Josie. "He was just stealing magic and the witches here were easy targets. He won't be back."

"How do you know?" asked Davina.

Josie shrugged. "He's from Portland. He wants revenge against his family for locking him in the prison world and he wants to merge with his twin sister to take control of his coven... None of those people are here in New Orleans."

Kol frowned. "Merge? Kai's from the Geminis?"

Josie wasn't surprised Kol knew them. "Yeah. But I didn't come here to talk about Kai."

Josie paused, trying to figure out how to word what she needed to say.

"Is this about the dagger?" asked Kol, breaking the silence.

Josie frowned. "What?"

"Your loyalty is to my brother," said Kol. "I assume if you haven't told him what brought us to New Orleans, you will in short order. Unless we agree to give up the pursuit of the gold dagger."

"I haven't told him," said Josie. "I hope for your sake, he never finds out. I don't think he's actually planning on daggering you..."

Kol scoffed. "Still bloody blind to the evils of Niklaus! You're just as bad as Elijah!"

"You don't understand..." began Josie.

"Enough!" shouted Marcel. He looked at Josie and Damon. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here to talk about the Harvest," Josie said, quickly, not wanting to talk about the dagger anymore.

"What about the Harvest?" asked Davina with narrowed eyes.

Josie sighed, knowing this was going to be a tough sell. There was nothing to do except be honest.

"It needs to be completed," said Josie, wincing at Marcel's furious face. "If it's not, terrible things will happen. You'll die and New Orleans will be destroyed. Earthquakes, winds, fire... It's pretty biblical, actually."

"Bloody hell, Josie," said Kol, shaking his head.

At Davina's shocked, confused face, Josie continued. "I'm sorry. I really am. I wish it could be different. It's not fair what they did to you. But I'm telling you the truth. I'm thinking it's probably a failsafe in the spell."

"You're lying!" accused Davina. "The Harvest was stopped and everything is fine. The power will just fade away eventually."

Josie shook her head, knowing how scary this must be for Davina. "It won't. I'm sorry."

Marcel narrowed his eyes. "How come none of the witches have said this? I've heard every excuse in the book for why I did a horrible thing by disrupting the Harvest. Destruction of New Orleans is a new one."

Josie shrugged. "Maybe the witches don't know."

Davina scoffed. "You're in league with the witches."

"That's ridiculous," said Damon, rolling his eyes.

"Is it?" questioned Marcel. "Normally, my guys wouldn't stand a chance against a bunch of hybrids, but with Davina on my side..."

"This isn't a power play for New Orleans," said Josie, exasperated.

Davina just looked coldly at her. "It's time for you to leave."

She held out her hand and then everything went black.

o – o – o

"So?" asked Mason, looking around the cemetary Jane-Anne and Sophie had led them to. "What's your proposition?"

"We know Josie is the Oracle," said Jane-Anne. "That she just got her powers back. We want her help in finding someone."

"You mean your Harvest girl, Davina?" asked Klaus.

If Jane-Anne and Sophie were surprised at Klaus' knowledge, they didn't show it.

"Yes," answered Sophie. "We need her to complete the Harvest."

Klaus looked almost amused. "I fail to see how that's my problem."

Jane-Anne cocked her head. "If you want to take back New Orleans, you're going to need our help. Marcel has numbers and power on his side."

Klaus laughed. "And what makes you think I want this town? I came here to reclaim my Oracle."

"Then why haven't you left?" challenged Sophie. "Why was your brother seen talking to New Orleans' premier realtor this morning?"

Klaus and Elijah looked at each other.

"We have a vampire problem," continued Sophie. "Marcel rules with an iron fist. If you help us complete the Harvest, we'll back you as the new leader of the vampire faction."

"And when the dust settles, you no doubt expect a seat at the table?" mused Elijah.

"You once brokered a peace treaty with all the factions in New Orleans," said Jane-Anne. "Before you left in the early 1900s. Rumor has it you've done the same in Mystic Falls."

"And what about the werewolves?" asked Mason.

"We wouldn't object to their return to the quarter," said Sophie, shrugging.

There was silence wherein everyone looked at Klaus.

"I'll take your offer under consideration," said Klaus, finally. "But make no mistake... I know your original plan. Blackmail by threatening the lives of my children..."

Sophie and Jane-Anne opened their mouths to protest, but Klaus snarled. "Don't deny it! Josie sees many things, including your manipulations."

"This isn't a manipulation," said Jane-Anne. "Maybe we thought about going down that path, but I think we can help each other. We'll help keep your children safe."

"In exchange for returning yours to you," finished Klaus.

Jane-Anne nodded. "That's the idea."

Klaus tilted his head. "I understand the love a parent has for their child." He paused. "I'll think on it."

He nodded to Mason and Elijah and the three of them disappeared, leaving the Deveraux sisters alone in the cemetary.

o – o – o

"What the bloody hell did you do?" snapped Kol, as he caught Josie's unconscious body in his arms.

"She's fine," said Davina. "I wouldn't hurt her or the babies."

"You're a pretty protective uncle, aren't you?" mused Marcel.

Kol's eyes narrowed. "How did you know the twins are Nik's?"

Marcel smiled. "I didn't. But thanks for the confirmation." At Kol's murderous look, he continued. "I won't use it against him. I told you before I have rules about kids."

He turned to Davina. "You know what to do."

Davina nodded.

"What are you doing?" asked Kol.

"I have to make them forget," said Davina. "About where I am. The plan with the dagger."

Kol narrowed his eyes. "If you harm her or the children in any way..."

"Alright," said Marcel. "That's enough. Davina knows what she's doing. This isn't the first memory wipe she's done."

"Others have found your little hideaway?" asked Kol.

"Just a few," said Marcel. "None of them remember."

While Davina knelt beside the prone bodies of Josie and Damon, Kol and Marcel spoke quietly on the other side of the room.

"Do you think Josie was telling the truth?" asked Marcel. "About the Harvest?"

"She believes it's the truth," answered Kol.

"So I saved Davina for nothing?"

Kol sighed. "It's a magical problem. Perhaps there's a magical solution?"

"And what's your help going to cost me?" asked Marcel, shrewdly.

Kol smirked. "I'll think of something. In the meantime, we'll continue our lessons. Until tonight when we retrieve the dagger."

Marcel shook his head. "I'm having a party at my place tonight. After what happened with Klaus, I don't feel comfortable leaving the compound with all my guys there."

"Tomorrow then?" asked Kol. "If you're expecting two weeks of lessons before Davina turns the dagger gold, then there's no rush."

Marcel nodded. "I want her to be in control of her power. I know she's not comfortable right now."

Kol tilted his head. "You're afraid my brother will try to wrest control of the city in the meantime?"

"You think he won't?"

Kol raised an eyebrow. "Nik maybe be ambitious, but he's not stupid. Even if all his hybrids descended on New Orleans, they'd be no match for your army and your witch."

"And if he starts turning the wolves in the bayou?" asked Marcel.

Kol smirked. "If you're so worried about those wolves becoming hybrids, I think you know what to do."

Marcel wasn't surprised by the suggestion. Wasn't Kol's solution to everything a killing spree? Still the idea might have some merit. No werewolves, no hybrids.

o – o – o

Josie blinked her eyes. When her vision was able to focus, she found she was lying on a bed, next to Damon.

"Welcome back."

Josie sat up, hands automatically going to her stomach.

"Your kids are fine," said Marcel. "I don't break my own rules."

A growl beside her told her that Damon was awake.

"Where are we?" asked Damon, automatically shifting closer to Josie in a protective gesture. "What did you do?"

"You upset Davina," said Marcel, as if that was an explanation.

Josie glanced around the room. The furnishings were old, the wallpaper dated.

"How long have we been out?" Josie asked. "Klaus..."

"Yeah, he's been calling nonstop for that past 15 minutes," said Marcel, tossing Josie her phone.

"You are so dead," smirked Damon. "When he finds out..."

"I'm tired of the threats," snarled Marcel. "This city is mine. This house is mine. And Davina is mine. I don't care what Klaus wants. What power he thinks he has. You need to stop interferring in my affairs and go home."

Then he left the room.

o – o – o

Josie sighed as Klaus called her again.

"You should pick up the phone," said Damon, as they exited the compound. "Forget Marcel, Klaus is going to kill me."

"No, he won't," said Josie, shaking her head. "I'll explain that it wasn't your fault."

"I should probably get going anyway, Josie," said Damon. "I have this tux fitting with Alaric tomorrow."

Josie sighed. "Okay."

"I'll drop you back at the hotel."

Josie nodded. As they walked back to the hotel, Josie told him about Josette, Kai's twin sister. How she was probably a doctor at Whitmore and was in danger of being found and forced to merge by Kai.

"So what do you want me to do?" asked Damon, as they walked into the hotel lobby.

"Just find her," said Josie. "Tell her Kai's broken out of prison and is probably after her and her magic knife."

"Her what?"

"She put her magic into a knife," explained Josie. "I don't remember where it is. I think she hid it? But Kai will try and find it, then find her to force the merge."

"And we care... why?"

"Because she's a nice person and Kai is crazy. And if he becomes the leader of the Gemini coven, he'll try and kill all of them."

Damon looked bored. "I'm still trying to find a reason to care."

"It's my fault he's out," said Josie. "The Strix broke him out to fix me. I feel responsible. Please, Damon."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll pay her a visit."

Josie grinned. "Thank you, thank you!"

She gave Damon a hug.

"Take care of little Damon and Damiana," smiled Damon.

Josie smiled back. "Take care of everyone in Mystic Falls."

"You okay from here?" asked Damon, eyeing the elevator.

Josie pulled out her keycard. "I can ride the elevator by myself."

"I'll accompany her to the suite," came Elijah's voice from behind them.

Damon nodded. "See you back home, princess."

Josie smiled as Damon turned and walked out of the hotel.

"Hey, Elijah," smiled Josie, pulling him into a hug. "It feels like it's been forever since I've seen you."

"We've all been busy, my dear," said Elijah as they stepped into the elevator. "It seems Niklaus wishes to stay for an indefinite period of time. I've been securing a more... appropriate residence."

Josie lifted an eyebrow. "The governor's old place?"

Elijah smiled and nodded. "It's good to have you back, Josie."

"It's good to be back! I finally feel like myself again. It's horrible, not remembering who you are." She paused. "Well, mostly..." she trailed off.

Elijah frowned. "What is it?"

Josie shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I've got my memories back, but there are things... Like my family, back home." She sighed. "I thought when I had a kid, my mom would be around. Even when Klaus brought me back here, there was always this thought, in the back of my mind, that I would go home again. Someday."

"And now?" Elijah asked, gently.

"Now, it's like the choice has been taken away," said Josie, sadly. "I could never leave them. They're not even here and I love them so much." She rubbed her belly. "And I would never take them away from their father. So where does that leave me?"

Elijah sighed and gathered her in his arms. "There is always a choice. You've made it. Now, you must accept it. You must grieve for what you've lost."

Josie blinked back tears. She'd already cried so much since the start of this pregnancy. Damn hormones.

"You are loved, my dear," said Elijah. "The Gilberts may not be your true family, but their love is no less, despite your lack of shared blood."

Josie nodded, trying not to cry on his silk shirt.

"You've brought my own family happiness I no longer thought possible," he said, pulling back to look into her eyes. "What you have done for Niklaus... I hope you will forgive my selfishness when I say I wish that you will remain with us forever."

Josie smiled. "Thank you, Elijah. I've missed you."

The elevator dinged.

"Come," said Elijah, offering his arm. "Niklaus awaits. We have something we wish to discuss with you."

o – o – o

Klaus paused his pacing to pour more whiskey into his glass. He stopped himself from calling her again. His inner wolf was agitated, as if it could sense something was amiss with its mate. Now that he had finally been reunited with Josie, now that she was whole again and was his in every sense of the word, he disliked being parted from her.

Realistically, he knew they couldn't be with each other always, but their previous separation- when he'd been in Mystic Falls and she'd been traveling with his siblings- it was something he never wished to experience again.

He sighed, digging the velvet box out of his pocket and cracking it open. Would giving her this ensure she would be his forever? They would always be connected- the twins had seen to that, but he knew that wasn't enough.

He stared at the ring, its large square-cut diamond, encrusted with smaller diamonds and ringed with sapphires, sparkled in the soft lights of the hotel suite. Would she like it? Would he ever have the courage to give it to her?

The door opening interrupted his thoughts and he felt a wave of relief wash over him when Josie walked through the door, accompanied by Elijah. If either of them noticed his quick movements in returning the ring to his pocket, they didn't comment.

"Hey," said Josie, smiling and kicking off her shoes. "How are you?"

"Why weren't you answering your phone?" asked Klaus, flashing to her side and giving her a quick kiss. "Where's Damon?"

"He went back to Mystic Falls," answered Josie. "Don't worry, he handed me off to Elijah before he left."

"So entangled with the elder Salvatore you didn't have a moment to spare to return my calls?"

"Not exactly," said Josie, sitting down on one of the sofas and putting her feet up. "I sort of ran into Davina and Marcel."

Klaus frowned and sat on the sofa. He moved her feet so they were in his lap. She moaned slightly when he started rubbing her slightly swollen feet.

"Perhaps you ought to start at the beginning," offered Elijah.

Josie nodded and told them the whole story- how she'd tried to convince Davina that the Harvest had to happen and that Davina and Marcel didn't believe her.

"And then Damon and I woke up at Marcel's place," concluded Josie.

"Where is Marcel hiding her?" asked Klaus.

Josie frowned. "I don't know."

"No doubt she modified your memory while you were unconscious," said Elijah.

Klaus' scowl deepened. "When is this fire and brimstone scenario supposed to happen?"

"Not for a while, I think," said Josie.

"Why the bloody hell did you rush over there?" demanded Klaus. "Confront a witch as powerful as Davina with only Damon as back-up?"

"I knew she wasn't going to hurt me," said Josie, defensively. "I thought maybe I could convince her if it was just me, without the hybrid entourage... Guess that was stupid, but..." She sighed. "We also ran into Kai."

Klaus and Elijah listened patiently while Josie relayed that story, though Klaus looked agitated.

"You confronted a known serial killer?" growled Klaus. "A man who killed his own siblings? Are you mad?"

"I didn't realize it was him! I thought you and Marcel were having it out and I wanted to help." She shook her head. "It was awful. The witches just let him drain them. They're so afraid of Marcel, they didn't even try to fight back."

Elijah and Klaus looked at each other.

"What?" asked Josie, seeing the look. "What did you guys get up to this afternoon? Besides real estate shopping?"

After Klaus had relayed his confrontation with Marcel and then the subsequent meeting with the witches, Josie looked thoughtful.

"Are you going to do it?" asked Josie. "Delivering Davina in exchange for their help taking control of New Orleans seems like a decent deal. Especially since we know the Harvest has to happen anyway."

Klaus frowned.

"Still don't like witches, huh?" asked Josie.

"They're a pain in the arse," grumbled Klaus. "Infinitely more trouble than they're worth."

"Well, we're going to need their help with something else," said Josie.

"What would that be, love?" asked Klaus.

She turned to look at Elijah. "Do you remember Celeste?"

o – o – o

Mason twirled the keys as he approached the car. James was already leaning against the SUV, clearly eager to get on the road. Mason nodded at James, glad he was accompanying him. Their resident werewolf cultural expert might come in handy.

Mason's path was cut off by Rebekah appearing in front of him.

"Rebekah! What are you doing here?" asked Mason. "Does Klaus know you're still in New Orleans?"

"Not yet," she answered. "Are you going to tell him?"

Mason sighed. "Klaus is still angry about the Strix. And the trip to Europe with Josie."

Rebekah's eyes hardened. "I didn't come here to talk about Nik."

"Then why are you here?" asked Mason, a little angry.

Didn't she realize how dangerous it was for her here?

"I saw you passing by," shrugged Rebekah, now looking put out that he wasn't happy to see her. "Thought I'd say hello."

Mason's gaze softened. He still loved Rebekah, even if he knew they could never be together while he was Klaus' Beta.

"It's good to see you," said Mason. "I heard you had a good time in Europe."

Rebekah smiled sadly. "I missed you."

"I miss you, too," said Mason, sighing. "But nothing's changed."

"I know."

"Just forget about me," said Mason. "Find someone who isn't..."

"Supernaturally loyal to my brother?" finished Rebekah.

Mason tilted his head. "It's not that. I'm not even sired to him anymore."

Rebekah's jaw dropped. "What?"

"I broke the bond."

"But if you're not sired to him, why are you still loyal to him?" demanded Rebekah.

Mason sighed. "I told you before, it's not about being sired. Klaus is my alpha. Werewolves..."

"Have a bloody code," huffed Rebekah.

They stood there awkwardly for a second.

"I should go," said Mason. "Please leave New Orleans. Just let Klaus cool off."

Rebekah's eyes looked watery before she vanished.

Mason walked over to the car. James gave him a sympathetic look as they climbed in.

o – o – o

"Celeste is alive?" echoed Elijah.

Josie nodded. "She's been doing the body-hopping thing for a while now."

"To what end?" asked Elijah.

Josie raised her eyebrows. "The allure of immortality can't be lost on you."

"Why not simply become a vampire, then?" mused Klaus.

"Being a witch was important to her," answered Elijah. "No doubt she wished to retain her magic."

"She also wants revenge," said Josie, turning to Klaus. "On you."

"What perceived offense did I bestow upon her?" asked Klaus.

"She died because of you," said Elijah, tone on the edge of anger. "Because of your accusations of the witches."

Before Klaus could retort, Josie jumped in. "There's no use pointing fingers about something that happened 100 years ago. She wants revenge, she's planning on hijacking the Harvest to get it, so we have to stop her."

"How do you propose we do that, my love?" asked Klaus.

Josie shrugged. "Diana trapped Esther in Lucy's body, remember? We have to get the witches to do the same thing to Celeste."

"Do you know the witch she's currently possessing?" asked Elijah.

Josie nodded. "Her name is Sabine. I actually met her, before my memory was restored."

"Sabine?" frowned Elijah. "Sabine... Why does that name sound familiar?"

He stood up and flashed out of the room. He was back before either Josie or Klaus could say anything.

"Is this her?" asked Elijah, handing Josie the newspaper.

Josie's heart sank when she saw the article about Sabine Laurent, detailing how the witch took her own life the day before.

"Ah, problem solved, then," smirked Klaus.

"No," said Josie, shaking her head. "This is what she does. She kills her host before taking a new one." Josie bit her lip. "But why now?"

"Do you believe our arrival cause her to jump?" asked Klaus.

"Not ours," said Elijah. "Josie's."

Josie shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense. How is she any safer from my Sight in one body versus another?"

Then her face fell. "Fuck, Hayley."

"She's possessing Hayley?" asked Elijah. "Who's Hayley?"

Klaus shrugged. "Perhaps another witch?"

"No," said Josie. "Hayley is that werewolf we ran into last year. Remember, in Professor Shane's office?"

"Ah, the alpha of the Crescent Clan," nodded Klaus.

"I told her to find the witch that gives guided tours through the quarter," said Josie. "I said that witch could reverse the spell on her pack. Hayley must have told Sabine that an Oracle sent her. So when I came into town..."

"She decided to jump ship, as it were," said Klaus. "Before your Sight was returned to you. Clever girl."

"Yes," said Elijah, clenching his jaw. "Celeste was as brilliant as she was beautiful."

"Well how are we supposed to find out what body she's possessing?" asked Josie, frustrated that the butterfly effect had burned her yet again.

Neither Klaus nor Elijah answered.

Josie's phone beeped. She looked at the message and frowned.

"Mason says he and James can't have dinner with us." She looked at Klaus. "He says to ask you why."

Klaus smirked. "Mason and James are taking a little field trip."

o – o – o

"How are we supposed to find them?" James asked Mason as they jumped out of the car.

Mason shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe they'll find us."

James snorted. "That's assuming they want to."

"Why wouldn't they want to?"

"You and I both know we're not really wolves anymore," replied James. "They can smell vampire from a mile away."

Mason sighed and surveyed the wet ground and thick trees of the bayou.

"Klaus just asked us to try and make contact if we could," said Mason. "We just want to help them."

James shook his head. "I'm not sure they'll see it that way."

Mason stilled. "If you could go back to just being a werewolf, would you?"

"Shit, no way," said James. "Turning every month? No control. Choosing between guzzling wolfsbane and chaining myself up or traipsing out to the middle of the woods just so I wouldn't hurt anyone. That fucking sucked."

Mason smiled. "I guess I just thought..."

James smirked. "As far as I'm concerned, we get the best of both worlds. We get our wolf, but he doesn't control us."

"Sounds like a good deal," said a woman's voice from behind them. "But I'd hate to read the fine print."

Mason and James whipped around.

"I'm Hayley," said the woman. "You're Klaus' hybrids."

"I'm Mason. This is James. We were looking for you."

"For me?" asked Hayley, frowning.

"Well, not you specifically," clarified Mason. "We're looking for the wolves. The ones Marcel kicked out of the city."

Hayley narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

Mason smiled. "There may be a change of leadership in the quarter soon. A chance for you and your kin to return to the city."

"Let me guess," said Hayley. "There's a catch."

Mason looked at James. "Well..."

 **A/N: I figured Davina removing Josie's knowledge of her whereabouts and the dagger plan would probably happen when Josie went to confront her- just like Davina did to Rebekah in canon.**

 **Even though I sent Damon back to Mystic Falls (with a mission!), I kinda like the idea of Damon hanging out in New Orleans and maybe finding a lady love.**

 **Honestly, I was always on the fence about Delena in canon- it was a hot pairing, no doubt, but I didn't really see the compatibility. I always thought Damon needed someone strong who would call him on his crappy behavior instead of apologizing for him. I have this odd romantic notion about partners making each other 'their best selves' (as you can probably tell from Klaus/Josie), so yeah...**

 **Also, thanks to the reviewer for reminding me about Damon and Damiana!**


	84. Tangled Webs

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews (an apologies for the wait)! A few thoughts:**

 **The Mystic Falls gang is back a bit this chapter. Nothing much in terms of the main plot has happened there (except for some wedding planning stuff), but with Damon returning with Josie's ask of contacting Josette, they'll start to gradually come back into the story in the lead-up to the wedding.**

 **I'm not sure about final pairings yet (besides Josie/Klaus of course). I liked Rebekah and Mason, but at the same time I think Rebekah needs someone who isn't so entwined with Klaus. She needs separation, someone who will choose her and I've characterized him as such a loyal guy and that he really excels at and enjoys being Klaus' Beta. So, I dunno...**

 **For Elijah, I'm kinda at a loss. I don't mind Elena/Elijah, but I just love Elijah so much and I'm kinda meh about Elena (though the Elena I've written I like a lot better than later-seasons-canon Elena). But who else for Elijah then? I agree that Hayley got a lot less bitchy and manipulative after having Hope, but since that's not gonna happen here, I don't know about him and Hayley...**

 **Enough rambling, here's the next chapter!**

"Hello?"

"Why are you ignoring my calls?"

"Josie?"

"Just answer the question, Damon," Josie huffed impatiently. "I've been calling for days."

Damon smirked. "I've been busy. Best man duties. The wedding's in a week."

"What best man duties?"

"Namely planning the bachelor party. Booze, strippers, steak dinner, you know the drill. Which reminds me, does Klaus prefer AB negative or positive?"

"You're inviting Klaus to Alaric's bachelor party?"

"In the interest of burying the hatchet, Alaric is insisting."

"I don't think Klaus wants to go to a booze-riddled party and get a lap dance from some whore with fake breasts," said Josie angrily.

"You'll have to take that up with your boy because he and Mason already rsvp'ed yes."

Josie gasped. "What?"

"I'll make sure he behaves," smirked Damon.

Josie narrowed her eyes. "Klaus will make sure Klaus behaves. Ugh. I can't believe this."

Damon frowned. "You're not really mad?"

"No..." Josie sighed. "It's just... I don't exactly feel sexy at the moment. Being five months' pregnant and all."

"Are you and Klaus okay?" asked Damon, concerned.

"We're fine," answered Josie. "It's my deal, not his. Anyway, that's not why I was calling."

"You were calling about Dr. Jo and Kai," guessed Damon.

Josie nodded. "Yeah. Any updates? Did you locate Kai?"

"It's only been three weeks since I left New Orleans," said Damon. "Bonnie's been trying, but no luck so far."

"What about Jo's cloak?"

"Still holding as far as Bonnie can tell," answered Damon. "She also put this boundary spell around Whitmore. And if Kai crosses the boundary, Jo's necklace lights up."

"Cool," said Josie. "Like an early warning system."

"That's the idea," said Damon.

"So you and Bonnie are getting along?"

"Since she can't stop sucking face with my best friend, I'd say we're okay. She turned down my invite to Alaric's wedding though."

"Going stag then?"

Damon smirked. "Actually Dr. Jo is coming with me."

"You and Josette? Seriously?"

Damon was silent before he replied. "She told me there wasn't enough liquor in the world."

"Wow," said Josie, laughing. "Did you make a friend, Damon?"

"I'm hanging up now."

"I'll see you tomorrow," said Josie, still laughing a little before she heard the click of the phone.

o – o – o

Josie was standing in the large walk-in closet she shared with Klaus, trying to decide what to wear. Thankfully all the clothes she'd bought in Europe with Rebekah still fit, elastic as they were, but it was starting to get warm in New Orleans as it was May, and she didn't have a lot of warm-weather maternity clothes.

She smiled when she felt strong arms wrap themselves around her waist.

"Good morning, my love," Klaus murmured in her ear.

"Hey," she answered, turning around in his arms. "I need some new clothes. It's a hotter here than in Europe."

"I quite like your current state of dress," he whispered in a low voice, lowering his head to place kisses on her neck.

Josie rolled her eyes, looking down at the camisole and bikini bottoms she was wearing. At least Klaus still seemed to find her attractive, despite her expanding waist.

She moaned when his hands started roaming over her body.

"We're supposed to meet Elijah and Mason in 15 minutes," she half-heartedly protested.

"They can wait," said Klaus, bringing the camisole up and over her head.

Josie smiled when he swept her up in his arms and carried her to the bed, determined to have his wicked way with her before they ventured downstairs.

o – o – o

Marcel ducked when a candle came flying at his head as he entered the attic.

"What the hell?" he snarled, looking at the source of the flying object. "What's going on, Kol?"

"It's not bloody working," growled Kol, looking down at the still-silver dagger.

Kol and Davina were standing beside the make-shift altar, filled with various magical implements, as well as scientific elements.

Marcel frowned. "It's still not completed?"

Kol just snarled again and shoved the dagger back in its pouch. As always, the only time they took out the dagger was when they were trying to turn it gold. Otherwise, they didn't reveal it or speak directly about it, lest Josie get a vision.

"You've been trying for a week," said Marcel. "You said it would take a couple days at most."

Kol just shot glowered at him.

"Maybe we just need a different binding agent," offered Davina, righting some of the candles and scientific equipment Kol had knocked over in his rage. "Like a special kind of blood? Or maybe different herbs?"

Kol shook his head. "I don't understand. It should work. It worked on the other things we've tried. It's the same concept."

Marcel knew Kol was referring to the other objects whose base elements they had transformed- a bronze statue to steel, a rope to platinum, and finally a silver cup to gold.

"But it's not a normal-type object," said Davina, referring to the fact that the dagger was a magical object.

"Get a list and I can get whatever you need," said Marcel. He looked around. "Is Rebekah still not back?"

Kol shook his head. "After the surfing competition ended in Melbourne, she decided to take in Queen's Day in the Netherlands."

Marcel quickly schooled his features to hide his disappointment. He knew Rebekah had been bored hiding out in the attic, unable to show her face much in New Orleans, lest she attract the attentions of her elder brothers, but he was hoping she'd return soon.

She'd been less hostile lately and they had almost returned to their former rapport.

Kol huffed and headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Marcel.

"I'm feeling peckish," answered Kol. "Seeing as how it's daylight, I'll be hunting across the river. Don't wait up."

Then he disappeared.

Davina watched him go with a look of sadness on her face.

"How's it going otherwise, D?" asked Marcel.

Davina shrugged and turned towards the altar, tidying up. "I'm still learning a lot. When we take breaks from trying to, you know, Kol's still teaching me a lot."

Marcel nodded. "Do you need anything else? More art supplies?"

Davina shook her head, not looking him in the eye. "I'm all set."

"Is everything okay?" Marcel asked gently, noting her avoidance behavior. "Kol hasn't tried anything, or..."

"No, no," said Davina, shaking her head. "It's just..." She sighed.

"What is it?" asked Marcel, suddenly concerned.

"I know why it's not working."

Marcel frowned. "Why?"

"Because I'm not letting it," said Davina, eyes full of tears.

"You're sabotaging this?" asked Marcel, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. "Why?"

"I've been so lonely," cried Davina. "Having Kol here. Someone to talk to. Someone to teach me magic." She sniffled, looking every bit the scared, naive 16-year-old girl that she was. "Klaus hasn't made a move and I just... I didn't want it to end."

Marcel was still furious, but seeing Davina's tearful face, he sighed, knowing getting upset would be counter-productive. Instead he moved forward and wrapped the girl in his arms.

"You're not mad?" asked Davina into his chest.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Marcel prodded, not wanting to answer her question. "You know I'm on your side. We have to trust each other."

"I'm sorry," sniffled Davina. "You're right. When Kol gets back..."

"No," said Marcel, pulling back to look into Davina's eyes. "You're right. Klaus hasn't made a move. As long as you're ready at a moment's notice to complete this, I'm okay waiting a little longer."

Davina's smiled shined through her tears. "Thanks, Marcel."

Marcel sighed as he continued to hold his ward, hoping he didn't regret this.

o – o – o

"Running late?" asked Elijah, drinking coffee in the dining room and reading a newspaper when Josie and Klaus walked in.

Mason just glanced up from his phone with a half-smile on his face.

Josie just rolled her eyes and grabbed the chair opposite Mason and sat down. She refused to feel embarrassed anymore about other vampires hearing her and Klaus have sex. If those perverts wanted to listen, well there was nothing she could do to stop them.

"Oh, Brother," smirked Klaus, seating himself beside Josie, opposite Elijah. "We all know nothing truly begins until I've arrived."

Josie laughed and shook her head.

"Now I know what kept you," said Elijah, smiling slightly. "That abnormally large head of yours must make it difficult to navigate the doorways of this old house."

Klaus opened his mouth to retort, but Josie cut in.

"All packed, guys?" she asked.

Mason and Elijah nodded. They both were going to be accompanying Josie to Mystic Falls tomorrow. Klaus had some business to attend to in New Orleans, so he'd be joining them in a few days for the wedding weekend.

"And you, my dear?" asked Elijah.

"I've packed some," answered Josie. "Is anyone else coming with us?"

Since Klaus and Elijah had elected to stay in New Orleans for some time, a dozen hybrids had come down to join them from Mystic Falls. They were currently scattered throughout the quarter, living in various houses and apartments. They hadn't meddled in vampire business, but their very presence let Marcel know that Klaus and his pack wouldn't be scared away.

"It'll just be the three of us," said Mason. "None of the other hybrids are invited to the wedding."

Josie nodded.

"Any other updates before we talk about how today's going to go?" asked Mason, looking directly at Josie.

Josie sighed. "Nothing useful," she grumbled, thinking of her recent visions. "Same thing as the past three weeks. Davina is in an attic of some kind. Kol is teaching her magic. She, Kol, Marcel and Rebekah have formed an alliance."

"They are still speaking in code?" mused Elijah.

Josie shrugged. "Not code, per say. Just not specific. No details on where she is, what their ultimate goal is, nothing."

"No doubt Kol's doing," growled Klaus.

"And what of Celeste?" interrupted Elijah, clearly not wanting to hear whatever threats Klaus was about to issue towards their younger siblings.

Josie shrugged. "I've had a few visions of the witches. They've been completely upfront with us. They consider us their true allies, even if they don't completely trust us. But no clue as to who Celeste is inhabiting. Which is the point of her body-hopping, no doubt."

"We have her remains in our possession," said Elijah, referring to Celeste's coffin he and Klaus had dug up a few weeks ago. "She will reveal herself at some point. Then we can use them against her."

Josie nodded. "We just have to hope that when the Harvest is completed, she won't be able to hijack the ritual. We tell as few witches as possible it's going down."

Everyone agreed.

"So what's the plan for today?" asked Josie. "Does it get cold in the bayou at night? Should I bring a sweater?"

Klaus' clenched his jaw, clearly still not happy that Josie was coming. "It's perfectly temperate here on the plantation."

Josie huffed. "All those wolves have come here to see the miracle pregnancy. Mason thinks it may help persuade them to join us.

"She's right," said Mason, looking warily at Klaus. "When James and I were there just a few days ago, they wanted to see her."

"You saw the ring, Niklaus," said Elijah. "The bloodline of your father is alive and well. The Northeast Atlantic pack. They have come to seek out you and your kin."

"They're on our side," said Josie, putting a hand on Klaus' knee. "They'd never hurt me."

"It's the full moon tonight, love," said Klaus, tensely. "Werewolves in wolf form are not known for their restraint."

"We don't attack our own," said Mason. "We can sense the pups inside her."

"Besides we're not staying all night," said Josie. "We'll meet with the out-of-towners, secure their alliance, then when the moon is full and the Crescents are human, we'll get their loyalty and be on our way."

She smiled, looking forward to seeing Hayley again and meeting Jackson. Mason had been taking frequent trips to the bayou for the past few weeks, meeting with Eve and Hayley to form an alliance against Marcel. Tonight, hopefully all his hard work would pay off.

o – o – o

"What are you smiling about?" asked Jenna, loading the dishes into the dishwasher.

Elena looked up from her phone. "Just texting with Josie."

"When's she coming in?" asked Jenna.

"Tomorrow afternoon," answered Jeremy, handing Jenna a plate. "Elena and I are picking her up from the airfield at four."

"Don't worry," said Elena. "Our first stop is the tailor's. She sent her measurements a few weeks ago, but she says she's grown since then."

"When is she due again?" asked Jenna.

"August 27th," answered Elena. "But twins usually come early."

Jenna frowned. "How early?"

Elena smiled. "You're getting married May 21st, Jenna. I think you're safe from a birth disrupting the wedding."

"Yeah," agreed Jeremy. "If anything's going to disrupt the wedding, it'll be something freaky and supernatural attacking."

The color drained from Jenna's face.

"I'm joking, Jenna, jeez," laughed Jeremy. "Everyone's promised to be on their best behavior."

Jenna didn't look convinced. "I'd feel better if only the Salvatores or the Originals were coming. Not both."

"Josie will keep Klaus in line," offered Elena. "And Elijah will behave himself. Stefan too."

"And Damon?" questioned Jenna.

"Alaric can handle Damon," said Jeremy. "If not, Anna and her mother are both older and stronger. They'll snap his neck and throw him into the lake."

The wedding was going to be held at the Gilbert family lake house. Jenna and Alaric were going to be married on the edge of the lake and had rented a large tent in which to hold the reception.

"Everything's going to be fine," said Elena, putting a soothing hand on Jenna's shoulder. "Just try to relax."

Jenna took a deep breath and nodded. "That's what Ric keeps telling me."

o – o – o

Josie frowned. "Where's my umbrella?"

She was standing in the closet, two large suitcases open and half-filled.

"Did you say something, love?" asked Klaus, strolling into the closet.

"I said where's my..." she trailed off when she saw him holding up her umbrella.

She smiled and walked over to him. "Where was it?"

"Back porch," he said, kissing her as he handed her the umbrella.

"Oh right," she said, tossing it into one of her suitcases. "From our walk the other day."

She looked around wistfully at the old governor's mansion she'd called home for the past few weeks.

"Don't tell me you're missing this place already?" he mused.

She smiled at him. "I wasn't sure at first," she admitted. "But it's a nice place. Whoever owned it took good care of it."

"I was, in fact, referring to New Orleans," said Klaus, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

Josie cocked her head. "Is that your subtle way of asking whether or not I want to come back after the wedding?"

"I know you wish to stay for your sister's graduation," said Klaus, gathering her into his arms.

"Yeah, but that's only a week later," said Josie. "After that... I don't know. Jeremy's doing that art internship in New York City for the summer. And Alaric and Jenna will be gone for their extended honeymoon in Europe."

"And Elena?"

Josie shrugged. "Elena actually talked about coming to New Orleans for some of the summer. She wants to be with me for the birth."

Klaus frowned. "Actually present?"

Josie bit her lip. "I don't know about that. I mean, we haven't really talked about who's going to be there..."

"I will be there," Klaus stated matter-of-factly. "I will not miss the birth of our children. You need no one else."

Josie raised her eyebrows. "I think there's going to be a doctor and a few nurses as well. Not to mention the guy who gives the epidural..."

Klaus' phone beeping distracted them. "No doubt that's Mason."

"Is it time already?"

He nodded. "You may wish to change your shoes."

She looked down to see the comfy flip-flops she'd jammed on her feet that morning.

"I'm not sure any of my boots fit," grumbled Josie. "I don't know how it's possible, but my feet have gotten fat too."

"I can have someone fetch you a new pair," offered Klaus.

"My rain boots should still fit," said Josie. "I bet those are on the back porch too."

"We're leaving in ten minutes, love," said Klaus, exiting the closet.

Josie nodded and turned back to her suitcases. "I'll be down in a few."

o – o – o

"They're meeting tonight?" asked Sophie, looking up from the vegetables she was chopping. "Why weren't we invited?"

"Considering we cursed the wolves, Klaus didn't think it would be a good idea for us to be there," answered Jane-Anne, who was washing dishes.

"And you trust Klaus?" questioned Sophie.

"Of course not," said Jane-Anne. "But we don't have a choice. We have no idea where Davina is. Both Klaus and Elijah promised they would help us complete the Harvest."

Sophie frowned. "I know. They also insisted that Agnes and the two of us were the only ones who knew about the plan. Why can't we tell the rest of the coven?"

Jane-Anne sighed. "They wouldn't say. Maybe they're afraid of it getting back to Marcel?"

"That's ridiculous," said Sophie, angrily. "None of the witches would breathe a word about this. Even Katie, who's dating Marcel's wonder boy, Thierry, wouldn't risk the Harvest going south again."

"I know," said Jane-Anne. "But it's better to be safe than sorry, right?"

Sophie didn't reply, instead turning back to her vegetables, focused on getting tonight's menu ready to serve.

o – o – o

"Hey Diego," said Marcel, striding into the vampire bar.

Diego looked up from the human he was feeding on.

"Marcel," said Diego. "What's up? Haven't seen you much in the past few days."

"Been working on something," said Marcel casually, sitting at a table. "Don't worry, though. I've always got time for my guys."

"Didn't mean it like that. I know you've got a lot on your plate."

"You mean the hybrids crawling around the quarter," said Marcel with a frown.

Marcel motioned for Diego to join him. Diego dropped the human, telling her not to move. Then he sat opposite Marcel.

"One of our nightwalkers almost got bit last night," said Diego.

Marcel narrowed his eyes. "I told you guys not to engage with them."

Diego shook his head. "It's not right. Nobody wants them here."

"This isn't like the werewolves, Diego," said Marcel. "We have to be smart about this. The hybrids may not be all that dangerous, but they represent two Originals we don't want to mess with... Not yet anyway."

Diego looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing," smirked Marcel. "Tell me, when was the last time you went out to the bayou?"

Diego shrugged. "Two weeks ago, maybe. With those Crescent wolves in wolf form all the time, there's no catching them."

Marcel nodded. "Well tonight's the full moon."

"And they'll be human," smirked Diego.

"Exactly," said Marcel. "I want you to take some nightwalkers and put an end to the Crescent clan."

Diego smiled. "Consider it done, boss."

o – o – o

"Careful where you step, love," said Klaus, Josie's arm tucked firmly in his.

Josie rolled her eyes. "I know how to walk. I... aaah!"

She slipped in the mud and would have face planted if Klaus' strong arms hadn't caught her.

"You were saying?" he asked, eyebrows raised and an amused smiled on his lips.

"Oh, be quiet," she grumbled. "You try having balance with two basketballs in your stomach."

She frowned, focusing on the ground below her. She didn't want to greet Klaus' long-lost pack with a face full of mud.

"We're nearly there," said Mason.

They walked for another minute and were soon in a clearing. RVs lined the clearing and in the middle, numerous groups of people were gathered, cooking food over fires, drinking and laughing. All conversation stopped when Josie, Klaus and Mason came within view.

A man strode up and stretched out his hand.

"This is Cary," said Mason. "Cary, this is Josie and Klaus."

After murmuring pleasantries, Cary got straight to the point.

"Legend says you're descended from our line," said Cary, looking at Klaus.

Klaus nodded. "The legends are true." He looked at the rest of the wolves. "My father was an Alpha of the Northeast Atlantic pack. Your pack. Ansel, he was called."

"And the girl?" one woman asked, looking at Josie.

"She carries my children," confirmed Klaus. "A boy and a girl, with that same blood flowing through their veins."

There was a murmuring among the wolves.

Cary smiled. "We can all sense it. Come sit down. Join us for a drink. We've been talking to Mason for the past few days about the future of our pack, but we were waiting to speak directly to you, Klaus."

Klaus smiled, following Cary to one of the fire pits.

o – o – o

Diego peered out the window of the SUV, watching the last dregs of sun vanish behind the trees of the bayou.

"Everybody out," he ordered.

The nightwalkers scrambled out of the SUV.

"Split up into pairs."

The nightwalkers nodded.

Diego continued. "Remember to wait for back-up if you run into any that are in wolf form. Their bite is lethal. Believe me when I say you do not want to go out like that."

They all grabbed weapons from the back and vanished into the night.

Diego sighed, slinging his bag over his shoulder, not looking forward to this nighttime trek through the bog.

o – o – o

"So you're proposing an alliance?" asked Klaus. "Between our packs."

"No," said Cary, shaking his head. "We're proposing combining them. You're from our pack originally, anyway."

Klaus tilted his head. "Sorry, mate. But I'm not much for sharing power."

Mason shook his head. "That's not what he's saying, Klaus."

"I'm this pack's Alpha by birth," said Cary. "But you have a claim to the title as well. If you challenge me for Alpha, I won't dispute it."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "You would willingly recognize me as your Alpha?"

It was difficult for Klaus to fathom anyone giving up power voluntarily.

"We've been running scared from vampires for centuries," said Cary, with a touch of sadness. "If there's any wolf, any Alpha that can change that... Help us protect ourselves, our children. It's you."

Klaus looked around, trying to hide his surprise as everyone nodded in agreement. Josie looked equally surprised.

"Do you want to be hybrids?" asked Josie, a little worried as Klaus only had enough of Elena's blood left to create another dozen hybrids or so.

"Some of us," said Cary. "Others would remain werewolves. Mason mentioned there may be another way for us to have control over our shifting."

"After we take back New Orleans," added Mason.

Cary nodded. "Look, we're tired of fighting vampires. Living in campers, constantly on the road once we trigger our gene. We just want to live in peace."

"Vampires and werewolves living together," said Mason. "Under the leadership of the first being who was both."

A pained cry rose up from one of the younger girls in the pack. Klaus eyed the rising moon in the sky.

"Sarah just triggered the curse," said Cary, gesturing to the girl. "Her turning will start earlier and take longer tonight."

Klaus nodded. "We'll take our leave. But consider your offer accepted."

"I'll be in touch," said Mason, smiling.

Cary nodded. "Perhaps next full moon, we needn't know the pain of turning." He looked Klaus in the eye. "Brother."

At that, Cary and the rest of the Northeast Atlantic pack ran into the woods, carrying the screaming girl with them.

After they'd gone, Josie turned to Mason and Klaus.

"Okay, that was a surprise," she said. "Did you know they were going to do that?"

Mason shook his head. "We'd discussed it, but they hadn't decided. Cary has no desire to be alpha, but some of the other wolves are still wary of the fact that Klaus is half-vampire."

"They seemed to have put their misgivings aside," commented Klaus. "For now."

"So where does this leave the Crescents?" asked Josie.

The original plan had been to offer the twelve strongest Crescents hybridization in exchange for helping take down Marcel. Once the Harvest was completed and the witches were able, the Deveraux sisters would reverse the rest of the Crescents' curse.

Now that they had the Northeast Atlantic pack on their side, they didn't necessarily need the Crescents to take back New Orleans.

Klaus smirked. "Ah, the Crescents. A beautifully stubborn pack."

Mason snorted. "Wait till you meet Hayley."

Klaus just continued smirking. "Now, they will submit to me. Or be left to rot in the bog."

o – o – o

"Is this the place?" Josie asked as Klaus set her on her feet in the middle of another clearing.

Mason nodded. "This is where I've been meeting Hayley and Eve for the past few weeks."

"The moon is high," said Klaus, looking up. "They should be human by now." He tilted his head, as if listening. "Here they come."

30 seconds later, men and women started to stream into the clearing. Hayley was at the front with Jackson and Oliver.

Josie smiled. "Good to see you again."

Hayley looked at her. "You too. Thanks for the tip about my pack." She turned to the side. "This is Jackson. He's our Alpha."

She introduced Oliver and a few others, while Mason introduced Klaus and Josie. Oliver eyed them with an unfriendly glance, but Jackson's expression was more neutral.

"We have mere hours," said Klaus. "So let's arrive at the point of this meeting, shall we?"

"We don't want to be no bloodsuckers," sneered Oliver.

"Oliver's right," said Jackson. "I'd rather live my life one moon at a time than be dead."

"Ah, yes," said Klaus, smirking. "Due to recent developments, hybridization is off the table, I'm afraid."

Hayley narrowed her eyes. "What recent developments?"

Klaus smiled. "As I'm sure you're aware, the woods around New Orleans have begun to attract a number of other werewolf packs."

Hayley crossed her arms. "Because of her."

Everyone looked at Josie and her swollen stomach.

Klaus continued as if she hadn't said anything. "One of those pack happens to be that of my father's kin. The Northeast Atlantic pack. They wish to join me in taking back New Orleans. So your participation is no longer necessary."

Klaus moved to turn away.

"What?" Hayley practically screamed. "You said you would reverse the curse if we helped you and the witches push Marcel out."

Klaus turned back. "Why would I help a group of wolves who are openly hostile to me and mine?"

Jackson growled angrily. "What do you want?"

Klaus shrugged. "You have nothing to offer me."

Jackson scoffed. "Bullshit. If you didn't want nothing, you wouldn't have come."

Klaus smiled in an unfriendly way. "Smarter than you look, I see."

"Spit it out, Klaus," said Hayley, crossing her arms.

Klaus look unfettered by their open hostility. "Swear loyalty to me. Accept me as your pack's Alpha and I will ensure your curse is reversed and you are welcomed back into the quarter with open arms."

Oliver scoffed. "You think we're going to serve under a vampire? Together with the Northeast Atlantic pack?"

"What's wrong with the Northeast Atlantic pack?" asked Mason, frowning.

"Them and the Crescents don't get along," answered Oliver. "We've been going at each other since the beginning of time." He looked at Jackson. "Don't tell me you're considering this?"

Klaus growled, getting in Oliver's face. "It's that shortsighted attitude that led to the demise of the werewolves in New Orleans."

Oliver looked at him snidely. "I'm pretty sure Marcel and the witches did that."

"The packs should have been united," answered Klaus. "Marcel saw that weakness and he exploited it." He looked at Jackson and Hayley. "I trust you will not make the same mistakes twice."

o – o – o

Diego's eyes were angry as he crept noiselessly away from the bush he'd been crouched behind, listening in on Klaus' conversation with the Crescent clan.

He was furious. Klaus and his hybrid freaks had made an alliance with the witches and the wolves. Together they were planning to push Marcel out of New Orleans. No wonder the witches had been so quiet the past few weeks. They were just waiting for their chance to get revenge on the vampire that had taken their power.

Diego sped away from the scene quietly and called the rest of the nightwalkers, cancelling the wolf hunt. He kept the pedal to the floor all the way back to New Orleans and tracked down Marcel at the Abattoir.

"What's the matter?" asked Marcel, leaning casually over the railing overlooking the courtyard. "You look spooked, Diego."

Diego quickly related everything he had seen out in the bayou.

Marcel looked furious, jaw set. "I should have known. These past few weeks, hybrids hanging around the quarter, Klaus buying me drinks, acting all friendly. Every time I've been in Rousseau's the Deveraux sisters giving me free food. They've just been waiting."

He grabbed a potted plant nearby and hurled it into the courtyard with a loud yell.

"Damn him!" growled Marcel. "He thinks he's so fucking smart."

"So let's be smarter," said Diego. "We know their plan. We can stop it."

At that, Marcel smirked and grabbed his phone, dialing Davina's number.

"Hey, D," he said into the phone. "Is your teacher there?"

Diego heard Davina's response. "He's still out."

"Good," said Marcel. "Because I need you to complete the spell. If your teacher comes back, snap his neck."

"What happened?" asked Davina.

"Klaus is making a move," answered Marcel. "He plans to hand you over to the witches and take New Orleans for himself."

"So you're going to negotiate with the... you know what?" asked Davina.

"No," said Marcel angrily. "We're going to use it. Tomorrow night will be perfect. His brother, his Beta and his woman will be on a plane to Mystic Falls. By the time they realize something's wrong, he'll be long gone and no one will ever find him."

 **A/N: I hesitated with this plotline because I do like Marcel, but he was willing to dagger Klaus in canon even when Klaus had a kid on the way, so I do think this would be Marcel's reaction here as well.**

 **Let me know what you thought and how you think it'll all go down... Thanks!**


	85. The Oncoming Storm

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews!**

 **Still contemplating endgame pairings, but there's still a lot of plot to cover for this story, so I have some time. Thanks for all your thoughts- I do read them all and think about the different points made, etc.**

 **Also, the Crescent clan's current situation is that the curse is still in effect. Last chapter, Klaus, Josie and Mason met with them in the bayou during the full moon (i.e. the few hours a month that they are human). The Deveraux sisters have the ability to undo the curse, but Klaus is trying to get the Crescents' loyalty first.**

 **Anyway, here's the latest-**

The alarm on Josie's phone blared and she groped in the darkness for it. She squinted against the brightness of the screen and hit the snooze button.

"Mmm," she murmured, scooting closer to the warmth that was Klaus.

He wrapped his arms around her and settled his hands on her stomach.

"Sleep well, love?" he whispered.

Josie frowned. "They were kicking me all night."

His lips traveled along the back of her neck, kissing the spot where he'd marked her with his bite. Though he hadn't bitten her since she'd gotten pregnant and had inherited vampire healing, she knew he still liked feeling the slightly raised scar as evidence of his claim on her.

"It won't be for much longer," he said, still in a low voice. "A few more months at most."

"I wonder how big they've gotten," said Josie, rubbing her hand on her stomach.

She and Klaus were going to the doctor today for her normal check-up before she, Elijah and Mason left for Mystic Falls for Jenna and Alaric's wedding- Klaus would be coming a few days later. She was about five months pregnant now and they were getting regular ultrasounds to monitor the twins' growth.

"We'll soon see," he said.

"It seems like they've grown a lot. I don't know if I'll fit in the bridesmaid dress I ordered."

"Did you wish to shop before departing for Mystic Falls?" Klaus asked. "I know you indicated you needed some new clothes."

"I can shop in Mystic Falls," said Josie, shrugging. "I think I have a dress for the rehearsal dinner, but I need something less formal for Jenna's bachelorette."

He stiffened. "Remind me what the plan was for the traditional last night of debauchery?"

Josie turned around in his arms to face him. "You want to talk 'debauchery'? What about Alaric's bachelor party? With strippers and blood and booze?"

Klaus looked surprised.

"Yeah, Damon told me," continued Josie. "Asked me what kind of blood you wanted to drink while some whore rubbed herself all over you."

Klaus' mouth turned up in a slight smile. "Are you jealous, my love?"

Josie harrumphed. "No."

Though she knew she didn't sound convincing at all.

Klaus' cat-ate-the-canary smile just annoyed her. "You are jealous."

Josie scoffed and pushed away from him, trying to get out of bed.

"Calm yourself," he said, not letting her get away.

"Don't tell me to calm myself!" spat Josie. "You think it's okay for some strange woman to straddle you naked and rub herself all over you? How would you feel if some guy did that to me?"

Klaus' face immediately turned serious. "His death would be legendary." He paused, clearly trying to control his emotions. "Are there going to be male dancers at Jenna's party?"

Josie frowned. "I don't know. And don't turn this around on me! There are going to be strippers at Alaric's and you're..."

Klaus cut her off with a kiss before backing away. "I assure you I have no interest in other women. Certainly not one who is paid to feign interest in men." He cupped her face, looking her in the eyes. "I love you. It took a thousand years for me to find you. I've no intention of jeopardizing what we have on some passing fancy."

Josie sighed, feeling stupid for her reaction. "I know. I'm sorry. I trust you. I do. I just get crazy sometimes..."

Klaus smiled. "No doubt it's the hormones, love."

Josie smiled back. "Probably the same reason I started crying the other night when that commercial with the baby and the dog came on. Elijah threatened to turn off the cable."

"My brother is a wise man," chuckled Klaus.

Josie frowned slightly, thinking of Elijah. "You're just saying that because he backed you up last night."

After Josie, Mason and Klaus had returned from the bayou, they had gotten into an argument about what to do with the Crescent clan. Josie and Mason had wanted the curse on the Crescents lifted, regardless if they decided to accept Klaus as their alpha. They both believed the reverse werewolf curse was cruel.

Klaus disagreed and Elijah had backed him up, stating that it was illogical to give a potential threat greater power. They had let the matter drop for now, deciding to wait until after the wedding was done and everyone was back in New Orleans. They couldn't lift the curse until the next full moon anyway.

"Elijah is an excellent strategist," stated Klaus. "You know he advised George Washington during the American Revolution?"

"This isn't about strategy," said Josie. "It's about saving those poor wolves from a terrible fate."

Klaus growled. "I will not give an advantage to those that are hostile against our family. I will protect you and our children, at all costs."

Josie didn't reply, knowing he wasn't wrong.

"We must also think of the Northeast Atlantic Pack," said Klaus. "I am more concerned with their fate."

Josie frowned. "What fate? They're not cursed."

Klaus tilted his head. "All pureblooded werewolves are cursed with the pain of turning every full moon."

"Are you thinking of trying to make them moon rings?" asked Josie. "For those that can't be hybrids?"

She and Klaus had talked about moon rings before. She couldn't remember exactly how they worked, just that they were black kyanite and that at least one version of the spell had zapped power from Klaus every full moon, so they had to make sure to power them a different way.

Klaus tilted his head. "Perhaps. The problem with rings, of course, is that they can be disenchanted or stolen."

Josie shrugged. "So?"

Klaus growled. "There is not a witch on this earth that I would entrust with their fate. Certainly not these New Orleans witches. They have no loyalty, but to themselves. They slaughter their own children just to appease their ancestors."

"What else is there?" frowned Josie. "You have a limited amount of Elena's blood left to make hybrids and we agreed the twins' blood is off-limits. The only other way I know of for werewolves to control their shifting is if you, as their alpha, joined another in the unification ceremony."

"That's not exactly true," said Klaus, looking at her carefully. "It needn't be another alpha werewolf. I asked James to look into it. It could simply be a human. All that's required is for me to be accepted as the alpha werewolf for the effects to transfer to the entire pack."

Josie blinked, letting his meaning sink in. Was he implying that they should get married? A million alarm bells went off. Marriage? This had to be a joke.

Josie laughed nervously. "I don't think that's how the ceremony works." She got up from the bed. "You should have James check again. It's definitely two alphas." She backed away. "I'm going to get in the shower. Don't want to be late for our appointment!"

She walked quickly to the bathroom and shut the door, embarrassed about her reaction. But really, if Klaus was suggesting what she thought he was, what the hell reaction did he expect?

o – o – o

"Hey, D," said Marcel. He held up a bag. "Brought you some food."

Davina smiled and looked up from the easel. "Thanks, Marcel."

"Where's Kol?" he asked, handing Davina the bag of food.

Davina shrugged. "He never came back from hunting last night."

"So you didn't..." Marcel trailed off, not finishing the question.

Davina knew what he was saying- she hadn't been able to complete the spell that would turn the dagger from silver to gold because Kol had the dagger.

He kept it on his person, always. Even when Rebekah had been in town, he never trusted her with it, let alone Marcel or Davina.

"Not yet," said Davina. "Kol will come back. He always does."

"Good to know you have faith in me, darling," said Kol, smirking from the doorway.

He sauntered in. "Miss me?"

Davina shrugged. "I've been catching up on my drawing."

Kol moved to study the painting she was working on and Marcel caught Davina's eye. Marcel nodded towards Kol and Davina immediately understood.

Davina waited until his back was turned, then raised her hand and Kol's neck snapped, his body falling to the floor. Marcel groped in Kol's pockets and found the two objects he was looking for- the pouch that held the silver dagger and the small vial of white oak ash.

Marcel pocketed the vial of ash quickly and handed the pouch with the dagger to Davina.

"You know what to do," he said.

Davina nodded, looking at the pouch in her hands. "Are you sure about this?"

Marcel frowned. "You know how dangerous Klaus is. We may not get another chance at this."

Davina bit her lip. "I know. I want him gone too. He's conspiring with the witches to have me killed!"

"Then what's the problem?"

Davina shrugged, looking hesitant.

"You can't let the fact that he's going to be a father get in the way of what needs to be done," said Marcel. "Don't you think his kids are better off without him?"

Davina nodded slowly. "She's not going to let it go though," said Davina, referring to Josie. "And what about his pack?"

"By the time they realize what happened, it won't matter," responded Marcel. "Alphas die all the time and are replaced by the next in line. Josie's just a human."

Davina frowned. "How can she love him? He's a monster."

"You can't choose who you fall in love with." Marcel sighed. "I'd know." He looked at his watch. "They should be boarding the plane to Mystic Falls in a few hours. Finish the spell and keep him subdued. I'll be back later."

Davina nodded and Marcel was gone in a rush of wind.

o – o – o

Josie was just toweling her hair when Klaus came into the bathroom.

"Hey," she said, reaching for a brush to comb her hair.

"Hello, love," he said, leaning down to kiss her. "Is everything alright?"

She nodded. "Of course."

She bit her lip, sure he noticed how she'd rushed off after he'd talked about the unification ceremony. She really didn't want to talk about it though. She was leaving for Mystic Falls and didn't want to argue with him.

She quickly turned on the hair dryer and tried not to notice his look of disappointment at her continued avoidance.

She managed to avoid him all through getting ready and finishing packing, but when they were alone in the car together, headed to the clinic, she knew she couldn't deflect any longer. She just hoped he wouldn't bring it up.

"James is not mistaken," said Klaus. "The magic that allows me to control my shifting would transfer to the pack if we were to perform the ceremony properly and all its accompanying rituals."

So much for avoidance. And a romantic proposal. He made it sound like a fucking business transaction. He might love her, but it wasn't the reason he wanted them to get married.

"I still don't understand what's wrong with the moon rings," said Josie, shrugging. "Maybe we could get another witch..."

"You don't wish to participate in the ceremony then?" he asked coolly.

"I..." Josie trailed off. "Do you?"

Klaus looked at her angrily. "Do you believe I brought it up if I didn't wish to see it through?"

Josie sighed. "I understand that you don't trust witches and you want to expand the pack, but it seems like a not-so-great reason to get married, Klaus."

Klaus clenched his jaw. "I see."

Josie frowned. It was clear he was upset. "It's not that I don't appreciate what you're trying to do. I understand you only want what's best for the pack. I do too, but marriage is a big deal and you should do it for the right reasons."

He head snapped around to her and he angrily parked at the medical clinic parking lot. "What the bloody hell does that mean?"

Josie huffed and unbuckled herself. "Don't do something you don't want to do because you think there isn't an alternative. The moon rings..."

"I don't want to hear about the bloody moon rings!" Klaus exclaimed, getting out of the car. "Nor your excuses why you would refuse my offer."

"I just told you, I..."

She trailed off when she saw that they were attracting stares in the clinic parking lot.

"Let's just go," she said, stomping up the steps to the clinic. "We can talk about this later."

o – o – o

Marcel walked into the vampire bar and made a beeline for Diego.

"Hey Marcel," said Diego, taking a sip of his drink. "What's up?" He lowered his voice. "What's the plan to handle Klaus?"

"It goes down tonight," said Marcel. "At the compound. I want everyone there."

Diego nodded.

"In the meantime, I want you to go to the cauldron and lead a rousting of the witches," said Marcel. "Take enough daywalkers to make an impression. Make them think twice about backing Klaus against us." He paused. "Make it nasty, Diego. Real nasty."

Diego smiled widely. "Already done, boss."

o – o – o

Josie winced when Klaus crunched the gears of the car as he sped them along to the airfield. He had barely spoken to her at the doctor's appointment and hadn't held her hand as the doctor performed the ultrasound, keeping his attention on the screen and what the doctor had been saying.

Josie honestly didn't know what to think. She felt bad that his ego was wounded by her reluctance to agree to the ceremony, but what did he expect? That she'd jump at the chance to be in a marriage of convenience with him- when he'd told her a while ago that he didn't really believe in marriage?

Still, she didn't want to leave New Orleans in a fight, so she took a deep breath and broke the silence.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to be so dismissive of your idea earlier."

"You needn't apologize," he said, gruffly. "I appreciate your candor on the matter."

Josie sighed. "But my opinion obviously disappointed you. I don't like hurting you, you know."

He clenched his jaw. "You haven't, love. You simply don't wish to be bound to me."

Josie frowned. "I'm already bound to you. We're in a relationship. We're going to have kids together. I told you before I wanted us to be a family."

"And yet you refuse the formal declaration of that bond," he growled, looking over at her. "Why?"

"Because you don't really want to get married," she said, irritated. "You just want a pack of wolves that can control their shifting so they're the dominate species in New Orleans and you think the unification ceremony is the best way to do that."

Klaus tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he stopped the car. They'd arrived at the airfield.

He looked hard at her. "I see you've got it all figured out." He snarled. "Why would the heartless monster ever wish to pledge his life to another but to obtain more power?"

Josie reeled back as if she'd been slapped. "You know I don't think that about you. We talked about this before, you said you didn't want to get married."

Klaus frowned. "I don't recall this conversation."

Josie sighed. "It was after I'd gotten back from my world. You said there was only one person who you thought about marrying, but she didn't want you and then you didn't ever want to get married."

He narrowed his eyes and growled. "And I suppose I'm not allowed to change my mind?"

Josie rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding me? You can't pretend this isn't about the pack. You never brought up getting married before today." She crossed her arms. "I'm just supposed to believe all of a sudden you want to, at the same time it would be ever-so-convenient for the future of your pack if we did?"

Klaus looked hurt at her words, his earlier anger gone. "I've carried this for months." He took out the velvet box that housed the ring he'd purchased. "I assure you, this isn't a whim."

She could only watch in amazement as he lifted the top of the box to reveal a gorgeous diamond ring. She tore her eyes away from the ring to stare into his eyes.

Josie just stared at him for a moment, tilting her head. "If this is about the twins..."

Klaus growled. "This isn't about the bloody children!" It was clear he was working really hard to control his anger. "You are mine! Do you understand? Mine. Always and forever."

"You really want to marry me," she said, in shock.

"Yes," he said in a whisper. "Do you accept?"

o – o – o

Diego smiled as the witch in his arms screamed and fought against him. He tossed her down to the ground like a rag doll and upended the cart that held her magical products she was selling.

The bottles and bowls full of herbs and potions clanged in a satisfying way as they smashed into the pavement.

"Nice one," commented Thierry as he tore apart a nearby tarot reading table.

Diego smiled, glad Thierry could enjoy this even though he was seeing that witch, Katie.

"I've got Jardin Gris," said Thierry, taking off for Katie's shop.

Diego rolled his eyes, wondering what Thierry saw in the human. "Make sure you break more than just a window."

"Odd, that," commented an accented voice behind him. "Don't tell me one of your own is fraternizing with the enemy?"

Diego spun around and eyed Klaus coldly. "You would know."

"I beg your pardon," said Klaus, eyebrow raised. "Is that an accusation?"

"We don't like wolves," said Diego with an unfriendly glance. "That's why we kicked them out of the quarter."

"And yet here I am," smirked Klaus, obviously liking how annoyed Diego was by his presence.

Not for long, thought Diego angrily.

"What are you doing in the cauldron?" Diego asked Klaus, nodding at Thierry as he zoomed past, knocking over a few more carts in the process.

"I fail to see how that's your business," said Klaus with that never-ending smirk.

"I asked him here," came Marcel's smooth voice. He clamped a hand on Klaus' shoulder. "The Klaus Mikaelson I remember loved to stir up trouble. Especially when it came to the troublesome witches."

Klaus frowned. "The covens seem well under control at present, Marcel." He glanced around at the destruction being caused. "Though I do love a good rousting."

Marcel grinned. "Why don't you join us, then?"

Klaus looked hesitant. "I'm afraid I'm needed elsewhere at the moment."

Marcel frowned. "Too bad. You should come by my place tonight though. I found that bottle of Bordeaux you stashed away 200 years ago. We should break it open."

Klaus nodded. "Alright." He looked at Diego. "Careful with these witches. They can be a nasty bunch if you push them too far."

Then he disappeared.

Diego looked at Marcel. "You think he suspects?"

Marcel shook his head. "I doubt he would have agreed to come."

He looked at his phone and smiled.

"What is it?" Diego asked.

"Davina's done it." He looked up at Diego with a satisfied smile. "We're all ready for tonight."

o – o – o

"Is everything alright, my dear?" asked Elijah, startling Josie out of her thoughts.

She blinked and looked at him. "Yeah, Elijah. I'm fine. Sorry."

He sighed. "Whatever happened between you and Niklaus, I am sure he is sorry."

Josie had to suppress a laugh. "Why do you assume it's something he did?"

Elijah smiled slightly. "Because it's Niklaus."

Josie did laugh at that. "Nothing's wrong."

Elijah frowned. "You have been tense since we left New Orleans. He was agitated when he dropped you at the airfield."

Yeah, because he proposed and she'd looked at him like he had five heads. She closed her eyes, not wanting to replay those last few moments with him.

After he'd shown her the ring and asked if she accepted, she had asked for time. He had just nodded, shoved the ring into her hand and exited the car.

His good-bye kiss had been an awkward affair on the cheek while Mason and Elijah stood there to walk with her to the plane. Then Klaus had gone back into the car without a backward glance.

"We're all agitated," said Josie, not wanting to talk about her and Klaus. "I don't like leaving him alone in New Orleans."

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "Niklaus is stubborn. And perfectly capable of defending himself when the need arises. He will be fine and will join us in Mystic Falls shortly."

Josie sighed. "I know."

"The pilot wanted to speak with you, Elijah," said Mason, dropping into the seat next to Josie.

Elijah nodded and walked to the cockpit.

"Hey, Mason," smiled Josie.

"I hope you say yes," said Mason, looking into her eyes.

Josie blinked in surprise.

"I overheard your conversation with Klaus," admitted Mason. "I know you're young, but for the sake of my alpha and my pack, I hope you say yes."

Josie sighed. "It's not so much the age thing. I mean, I'm technically 21, even if my stupid birth certificate says I'm not."

She couldn't wait until next month, when 'Josie Gilbert' officially turned 18.

"That's still young."

Josie nodded. "It is. But Klaus means everything to me and I can't imagine being with anyone else."

"So what's the problem?" frowned Mason.

"What if things change?" asked Josie in a low voice. "We've been together less than a year. A year ago, I'd never even met him and was plotting his death with Elijah."

"Are you afraid your feelings will change, or his?"

Josie shrugged. "I don't know. Both, I guess. And then there's the problem of being different species."

Mason tilted his head. "You don't want to be a vampire."

Josie shook her head. "Not really, no. It's not like I've never thought about it, but I don't want to be dead. I don't want to drink blood and have an urge to hunt and kill."

Mason frowned. "It's not like that."

Josie raised her eyebrows, as if she didn't believe him.

"It's not like that for everyone," he corrected.

"What if I'm a Ripper?" she asked softly. "What if I turn into a completely different person? What if I turn off my emotions for some reason..."

"What if you get hit by a bus tomorrow?" said Mason in an exasperated tone. "What if Diana attacks and does another memory spell on you, but this time it's permanent?"

Josie frowned. "I don't get it."

Mason sighed. "The world is full of what-ifs, Josie. Don't let them stop you from doing what makes you happy."

"Quite a serious turn of conversation," came Elijah's voice as he exited the cockpit and sat opposite Mason and Josie.

Josie went for a smile. "Flying always makes me examine my mortality."

She wasn't ready for Klaus' proposal to be common knowledge right now, especially since she hadn't made a decision and the last thing she wanted to do was steal thunder away from Jenna and Alaric's wedding.

She bit her lip and reached in her bag, her breath catching when it rubbed against the velvet box. She pushed the feelings down, knowing it wasn't the time. She rummaged for a few more seconds until she found the pack of cards she was looking for.

"Texas Hold 'Em?" she asked, holding up the cards.

Elijah smiled. "As you wish."

Mason rubbed his hands together and smiled. "Get ready to have your butts kicked."

o – o – o

"Josie!" exclaimed Elena.

Josie smiled and hurried down the steps of the plane. She quickly hugged Elena before moving to Jeremy and doing the same.

"Hey, Jo," smiled Jeremy as he pulled back. "You are getting big."

Josie rolled her eyes.

"Jeremy!" scolded Elena good-naturedly. She looked up. "Hey, Elijah. Mason. Welcome back to Mystic Falls."

Elijah smiled. "Thank you, my dear. How is everything?"

"Good," said Elena. "Crazy, but good."

"Jenna that bad?" asked Josie.

Jeremy scoffed. "You have no idea. Be glad you're not staying with us."

Josie sighed. "Sorry about that."

Elena looked slightly annoyed, but Jeremy shrugged. "Elijah will be with you at Klaus' place and some of the pack has been staying there as well since you've all been out of town. It's probably safer there."

"Indeed," agreed Elijah.

"Well I'd rather stay at the Mikaelson house than the Lockwoods," said Mason, rolling his eyes.

Elena frowned. "Why?"

"Tyler warned me Carol's going crazy," said Mason. "Apparently one of the pack opened a bar on the outskirts of town."

"What's wrong with that?" asked Jeremy.

Mason grimaced. "It's the kind where vamps go to feed on humans who get off on it."

Josie was surprised. "Really?"

Mason nodded. "I'm about to get an earful from Carol. The bar has an over-18 policy, but it sounds like it isn't really enforced. They caught a group of fifteen-year-olds in there a few days ago and one of them was the daughter of a deputy."

Everyone winced.

"I'd be happy to be present when you speak with Carol," offered Elijah.

Mason turned to him and grinned, knowing that Carol, like most of the women in town, had a soft spot for the charming Elijah.

"That'd be awesome," said Mason.

"We can drop you off there," said Elena. "I promised Jenna I'd take Josie straight to the tailor's to get her dress adjusted one more time."

Elijah nodded and they all piled into Elena's SUV.

o – o – o

"Are you crazy?" asked Sophie, eyes wide as she righted a table.

It was an hour after Marcel's goons had left the cauldron and Sophie and Jane-Anne were helping with the clean-up.

"Keep your voice down," said Jane-Anne, looking around.

"I can't believe you're considering still backing Klaus after today," said Sophie. "They killed two witches! This wasn't just a normal reign of terror. If he finds out..."

"He's not going to find out," hissed Jane-Anne. "No one is. Nobody but us knows about Klaus' plan."

"He has spies everywhere," said Sophie in a low voice, looking around.

Jane-Anne sighed. "There are no vampires here. It's just our people."

"But..."

"This isn't up for discussion, Sophie," said Jane-Anne angrily. "The Harvest is all that matters. We have to get my daughter back. We have to save our people."

Sophie nodded numbly.

"Be brave," said Jane-Anne. "It'll be over soon."

Sophie watched Jane-Anne walk away and throw some broken bottles in the trash, not sure what to think.

o – o – o

"That's your brilliant plan?" Kol asked incredulously. "You're going to take down my big brother with some infant vampires and a teenage witch?"

Davina and Marcel both looked over at Kol with dirty looks.

"You have a better one?" asked Marcel.

"Let me out of here and I'll share my wisdom," Kol said, flashing a smile at the two.

Marcel narrowed his eyes at the corner of the room Kol was currently stuck in. Davina had put up a small barrier there.

Davina bit her lip. "Should we let him out?"

"No," said Marcel, walking up to Kol. "I don't think he cares if we dagger Klaus, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have his own agenda."

"Look at you, Marcellus," smirked Kol. "All grown up."

"Let him out when we're done," said Marcel. He looked at Davina. "Are you ready?"

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes."

o – o – o

Klaus strolled into the compound, finding it dark and unoccupied. He looked around, but before he could extend his hearing, Marcel appeared.

"Klaus," he said, stepping out of the darkness. "Welcome."

Klaus cocked his head. "I do love a good Bordeaux." He paused. "Especially as it used to be mine."

"Used to be." Marcel smiled slightly. "As long as you haven't forgotten that."

"How could I?" asked Klaus lightly. "Everywhere I turn, in this city that I built, are reminders of the sweeping power of the great Marcel."

Marcel smirked. "Staying in power isn't easy. You should know that."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "You are quite fond of reminding me."

"Well consider this another reminder."

Marcel whistled and Klaus watched as the entirety of Marcel's army entered the courtyard to surround him. There had to be at least a hundred vampires there.

"Is this your idea of a hit?" asked Klaus, laughing. "I taught you better than this paltry excuse for a takedown." He growled angrily. "You think you can subdue me? With this?"

Marcel just continued smirking. "No, but I think she can."

Klaus clenched his jaw when a young girl stepped forward to stand beside Marcel.

Klaus tilted his head. "You must be Davina." He smiled evilly. "You've been a very wicked little girl. Your elders are looking for you."

Davina paled slightly, but didn't move her eyes from his. "They aren't here."

Klaus just raised an eyebrow. "Our past always catches up to us." His eyes slid to Marcel. "You can be sure of that."

"Enough," growled Marcel. "Klaus Mikaelson!" His voice boomed around the courtyard. "You have been found guilty of plotting with the witches and wolves to overthrow the rightful King of New Orleans."

Klaus looked bemused. "And pray tell, what is the sentence?"

Marcel reached into his pocket. "A gold dagger to the chest."

Klaus took an involuntary step backward. "Where did you get that?"

o – o – o

Josie twisted around and looked at herself in the mirror. She sighed, grateful that the bridesmaid dress was flowy and covered her ever-growing stomach. Too bad it wouldn't zip up.

"It should be ready day after tomorrow," said Elena, walking back into the dressing area of the tailor's shop.

"Good," said Josie. "This is starting to get ridiculous."

Josie gestured to her chest. It was the reason the dress refused to close.

Elena laughed. "I think that's normal."

Josie harrumphed. "I know. They're just so big."

"I don't think anyone's going to complain about that."

Josie and Elena turned around to see Damon standing in the doorway.

"Damon!" exclaimed Josie, bounding over to him and giving him a hug.

"Miss me?" he asked, smiling at her. He looked at Elena. "Hey."

Elena smiled awkwardly. It was clear there was still a little tension there. Josie knew that Elena and the Salvatore brothers didn't see a lot of each other.

"What are you doing here?" asked Josie, smiling at Damon. "I told you I'd meet you later for dinner."

Damon's face fell. "We have a problem."

Josie frowned. "What?"

Josie blinked in surprise when Josette Laughlin, Kai's twin sister, walked into the dressing area behind Damon.

"This is Dr. Jo," said Damon. "This is Josie and Elena."

Josette looked at them with sad eyes. "It's my necklace. The one Bonnie enchanted to glow when Kai came to Whitmore."

She reached into her shirt and pulled on the chain to reveal a bright glowing stone.

"He's here," said Damon, exchanging a worried look with Josette. "Kai is here."

o – o – o

Rebekah looked around the attic, wondering where the witch was.

"Hello?" she called. "Anyone here?"

"Bekah?"

Rebekah spun around to see Kol standing in the corner.

"What are you doing here?" asked Kol. "I thought you were in Europe."

Rebekah shrugged. "I got bored. You said Nik is leaving in a few days for Mystic Falls, so New Orleans should be safe for a bit." She looked around. "Where's the witch?"

Kol sighed. "She's gone. She and Marcel took the gold dagger and trapped me here."

Rebekah inhaled a sharp breath. "What are they going to do?"

She tried to remain calm when Kol told her their plan.

"They're going to dagger him?" exclaimed Rebekah. "Why didn't you stop them?"

Kol growled and banged on the invisible barrier.

"Right," said Rebekah, shaking her head to clear it. "We have to stop them."

"Do we?" asked Kol.

"You must be joking," said Rebekah, frowning.

"How many times has he daggered us?" asked Kol in an angry voice. "Forgive me if I don't shed a bloody tear."

Rebekah was conflicted as she turned towards the door.

"Don't interfere, Bekah," said Kol. "Let them teach him a lesson. Did you forget how he killed Finn and robbed you of the cure? How he drove Mason away? He wouldn't hesitate to dagger us again if he could."

Rebekah sighed and started walking towards the door.

"Are you going to help him or Marcel?" asked Kol to her retreating back.

Rebekah closed her eyes and whispered. "I don't know."

o – o – o

Marcel smiled at the fear in Klaus' eyes as he looked at the gold dagger.

"A little present your brother Kol gave me," said Marcel, smiling. "He sends his regrets, by the way. He really wanted to be here."

Klaus growled. "Too cowardly to face me himself."

"That's a lie!" exclaimed Davina. "He's trapped."

"Where is he?" growled Klaus, angrily.

"We'll let him go once your body's far away from here," said Marcel. "I doubt he'll come looking for you though, considering how many times you've pushed one of these into his heart."

Klaus snarled. "The only thing they'll find far away is little pieces of you scattered about."

Marcel looked amused. "Even you can't escape this."

Klaus smirked. "Did you think I wasn't aware this was a trap? End this now, Marcel, and I may spare your life."

Marcel tilted his head. "You're bluffing."

Klaus just smiled. "You really don't understand what an Oracle is, do you?"

 **A/N: There ya go! Let me know what you thought!**


	86. Changing Tides

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! Sorry about the long wait on this one. I knew what I wanted to write, it just had a hard time coming out.**

Marcel just glared at Klaus stonily. "If you knew about the dagger, you would have stopped us already, Klaus. What were you waiting for, huh?" He looked around the room at all his vampires. "Don't let him scare you. We have the advantage here."

"Stop this foolishness now, Marcel," said Klaus. "I would hate to kill you. Rebekah is quite fond of you. I dislike upsetting my dear sister."

"Right," said Marcel in a sarcastic tone. "That's why you tried to dagger her just a few months ago."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "Disloyalty must be punished."

Marcel growled. "You'd know all about disloyalty, wouldn't you? You planned to take away everything I've built in the past hundred years. You're going down for at least twice that. Starting tonight."

He nodded at Davina, who held up her arm. Klaus surged forward to attack Davina, but was forced back by the power of her magic.

Klaus groaned when he felt the blood vessels bursting in his brain, forcing him to his knees. Davina was approaching when she suddenly stopped.

Klaus smiled when her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed to the ground.

"What did you do?" shouted Marcel, his eyes burning with hatred at Klaus.

Marcel bent down and pulled a tiny dart out of Davina's neck.

"Just a light sedative," smirked Klaus. "I did promise the witches I wouldn't kill their Harvest girl." He glanced back at the roof of the compound. "Did you know one of my hybrids is ex-military? Greg is quite the sharp shooter."

Marcel sucked in a breath and stumbled back. "You weren't bluffing. You knew about the dagger. About tonight."

Klaus looked at his former protégé almost sadly. "I'm afraid I wasn't, Marcellus."

o – o – o

"Where is Bonnie?" asked Damon, frowning. "You called her over an hour ago."

"She'll get here when she gets here, Damon," said Elena, sighing.

Damon, Josie, Elena and Josette were at the Boarding House, waiting for Bonnie to arrive. They were hoping she could do something to locate Kai. He was out there and had obviously found Josette, or at least knew she was in the area.

"Calm down," said Josie, almost amused by how concerned Damon seemed about Josette. "If you're really worried, we can always take her to the Mikaelsons'."

Damon growled. "We don't need any Original help."

Josie rolled her eyes. "She'll be safer there than here, surrounded by Klaus' hybrids."

Josette walked into the room. "Do I get a vote?"

"No," said Damon, taking a large swig of whiskey.

Josette sighed and took a seat next to Damon. "Maybe I should just go home. The necklace isn't glowing anymore, so Kai isn't at Whitmore. Maybe he moved on when he found out I wasn't there."

"You're not going home until he's dead," said Damon.

Josette tilted her head and looked at Elena and Josie. "Is he always this much of a controlling ass?"

"Don't answer that," said Josie, looking warningly at Elena. "Feel flattered. Damon doesn't give a damn about anybody."

"It's true," said Damon, smirking slightly.

The doorbell rang then and Damon got up.

"Finally," he said, stomping off to answer the front door.

"It'll be okay," said Elena, putting a comforting hand on Josette's arm. "We'll figure this out."

Josette nodded, taking a small sip of Damon's whiskey. "I never thought he'd escape that place. The coven assured me no one had ever escaped from a prison world."

Josie rolled her eyes, remembering how much back-and-forth had happened with prison worlds in the original storyline.

"Elena's right," said Josie. "Kai is a psychopath, but he's just one person. We'll stop him."

o – o – o

Klaus tilted his head. "Now will you concede, Marcel?"

"I still have the advantage," said Marcel, looking around at the hundred-plus vampires that surrounded him and Klaus.

"Come!" commanded Klaus and in an instant the courtyard of the compound was filled with a dozen hybrids, two of whom had passengers.

"Jane-Anne and Sophie Deveraux," Marcel spat out. He narrowed his eyes at Sophie. "I should have known. You do like to share a bed with the enemy."

"Enough," growled Klaus. "I grow impatient. I alone could best your warriors, but I brought my pack and two servants of nature."

"I still have the dagger," growled Marcel.

"And by whose hand will I fall?" asked Klaus, looking down at Davina's unconscious body. "If you plunge that dagger into my chest, you'll die as well."

"Maybe it would be worth it to see you buried."

Klaus just smirked. "Come now, Marcel. You are many things, but not one to fall on his own sword. You're like me."

"I am nothing like you," snarled Marcel, but he didn't move any closer to Klaus.

"I'll do it. I'd like nothing better than to dagger that son of a bitch."

Everyone looked shocked to hear those words coming out of Sophie Deveraux's mouth.

"Sophie, what are you doing?" gasped Jane-Anne as Sophie walked over to Marcel.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Sophie with an evil grin on her face. "Sophie's not home right now."

Sophie reached out and flicked her wrist. Everyone could only watch in amazement as Jane-Anne's neck snapped and her lifeless body collapsed to the ground.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" shouted Klaus, looking down at Jane-Anne in shock.

Sophie spun and smirked at Klaus. "Hello, Klaus. My name is Celeste Dubois. Remember me?"

o – o – o

Bonnie sighed and leaned back against the couch. "Nothing."

Josie groaned and forced herself to sit up in the chair. "Are you sure?"

"Kai's still cloaked," said Bonnie. "Wherever he is."

"What do we do now?" asked Elena. She turned to Josette. "You can't go home. We don't know that it's safe."

Damon nodded. "You can stay here. We have plenty of spare bedrooms."

Josette frowned. "For how long? I have work tomorrow. My life is at Whitmore."

"Call in sick," shrugged Damon.

Josette narrowed her eyes. "I can't just put my life on hold."

"You can't go back," said Josie, frowning. "Kai will force you to merge. You can bet he found that knife you hid your magic in if he came looking for you. You'll die and then Kai will be leader of the Gemini coven and he'll finish the killing spree he started all those years ago."

Josette sighed. "I guess I can call the hospital and tell them I had a family emergency. I need to go back to my apartment though and get some stuff."

Damon nodded. "I'll come with you."

They got up from the couch, Josette with a nervous look on her face. Clearly the situation with Kai was draining her.

"It's going to be fine," said Josie, reassuringly. "Kai will come. He found you once, he'll do it again. And when he does, we'll be ready."

Bonnie nodded. "I can move the barrier so it's around Mystic Falls. That way we'll know when he comes."

Josette smiled. "Thank you." She looked around the room. "All of you. You don't know me, but you're willing to help me."

Damon smirked. "Hero hair looks good on me, doesn't it?"

Everyone groaned.

"It'll just take me a few minutes to move the boundary spell," said Bonnie.

Josie nodded. "I should get back to Klaus' soon, before Elijah sends the cavalry."

o – o – o

"Who?" asked Marcel.

Klaus growled. "Celeste Dubois. An old lover of Elijah's. A body-hopping meddlesome witch." He turned to look at Sophie. "I was wondering when you'd come to the party." He looked her up and down. "Interesting choice of wardrobe."

Sophie narrowed her eyes. "I preferred Sabine, but your bitchy baby momma ruined that, didn't she?"

Klaus snarled. "Mention Josie again and I'll rip out your tongue."

Sophie laughed. "You're not really in a position to make threats." She turned to Marcel. "Give me the dagger and I'll end him."

Marcel frowned. "How do I know this isn't some kind of trick?"

Sophie smirked. "I've been in a lot of witch bodies in my time. Remember Brynn Deveraux? The witch who cursed the Crescent Clan?"

Marcel raised an eyebrow. "You're Brynn Deveraux? Brynn's dead."

Sophie let out an annoyed sigh. "No, I wore her. Remember what she used to say to you? When you were in bed together? About the night sky and falling stars?"

Marcel gasped in shock. Clearly her words rang true to him. "What the fuck? Brynn?"

Sophie rolled her eyes. "No, Celeste." She sighed in annoyance. "We don't have time for this. Just give me the fucking dagger and I'll finish him."

Klaus growled and moved to attack her, but Sophie's hand shot up instantly and he growled in pain as he felt the blood vessels in his brain bursting. It wasn't nearly as painful as when Davina had done it as Sophie wasn't as powerful, but it was enough to stop him in his tracks.

Clearly, seeing their Alpha attacked by the witch was enough to spur the hybrids into action. In an instant, the entire compound was engaged in battle.

The hybrids were outnumbered eight to one, but they were stronger than most of Marcel's vampires and the vampires were especially wary of the hybrids' teeth, knowing one bite would be deadly.

Klaus was still struggling under Sophie's magic, until one hybrid managed to get past Marcel's vampires and barrel into Sophie.

"No!" shouted Marcel and immediately pounced on the hybrid.

Klaus was up immediately and sped over to the pair, ripping Marcel off the hybrid and throwing him against the wall.

"Where's the witch?" asked Klaus.

Klaus looked around, but didn't see Sophie anywhere. He was distracted by the sight of his hybrids fighting the losing battle.

He let out a mighty roar and flung himself into the fray. Marcel's vampires scattered as he proceeded to rip them apart.

o – o – o

"Shit," groaned Marcel, picking himself up off the ground.

He'd forgotten how much it hurt to be tossed around by someone so much stronger than himself.

"Where is the dagger?" hissed a voice next to him.

Marcel looked up to see Sophie standing there. "Give me the dagger, Marcel." She looked out at the compound where Klaus was ripping his guys to shreds. "It's your only chance."

Marcel nodded and handed her the dagger. "I'll distract him."

Sophie nodded and clutched the dagger to her chest before inching away.

o – o – o

Josette and Damon entered Josette's apartment in Whitmore.

"Just grab a few things and we'll be on our way," said Damon, looking around the kitchen.

Josette smiled. "Liquor cabinet is above the fridge. Glasses are to the right. Help yourself."

Damon smirked. "You know me too well."

Josette just shook her head and headed into the living room. She walked across it purposefully and opened the door to her bedroom, shutting it behind her.

She gasped in surprise when she realized she wasn't alone.

"Hello, Sissy," said Kai, smiling at Josette. "Long time no see."

"Kai," said Josette, nervously backing away from him.

"Why don't you look happy to see me?" frowned Kai in a mocking way.

"What the hell do you want?"

"Do you really want to play this game? You know why I'm here."

"It's not going to work, Kai," spat Josette. "I don't have my magic."

Kai nodded. "Yeah, I know. You know stored it in this."

Kai reached into his jacket and pulled out a nasty looking knife. Josette tried to run away, but Kai tackled her and stabbed her in the shoulder. She cried out in pain.

The door to the bedroom opened and Damon stormed in. Kai's arm shot up and Damon fell to his knees.

"You didn't think I'd come for my sister without getting juiced up first, did you?" mocked Kai.

Damon groaned and put his hands on his head.

Kai walked over to him and crouched down. "I remember you. You were in New Orleans. You're friends with that pregnant Oracle chick." He frowned. "Either it's a small world or she warned you about me."

Kai reached out and ripped the leg off a nearby chair.

"Sorry, but you've interfered once already," said Kai.

Then he plunged the stake into Damon's chest. Josette lifted her head and screamed when she saw Damon started to turn grey and veiny.

"No!" screamed Josie, panting hard. "No!"

"What the hell?" exclaimed Damon, frowning at Josie thrashing about on the couch.

"She's having a vision, Damon," frowned Elena. She held Josie's shoulders securely. "Jo, it's okay. You're fine. Everything's fine."

"Fuck," said Josie, trying to catch her breath.

She looked around the room and saw Damon, Elena, Bonnie and Josette staring at her with worried looks.

"What did you see?" asked Bonnie, frowning.

Josie looked at Josette. "You can't go back to Whitmore. Kai is there. He has the knife with your magic. He's going to stab you and kill Damon."

"But my stuff..."

"Isn't more important than your life," growled Damon. "We'll buy you more stuff."

Josette nodded. "You're right." She sighed. "I guess I'm stuck in Mystic Falls for now."

Damon grinned. "It's not so bad here." He handed her a glass of whiskey. "I'm the perfect host."

o – o – o

When Rebekah arrived at the compound, she wasn't sure what to think. Klaus was in the middle of the courtyard, looking angrier than she had ever seen him. He was killing Marcel's vampires at an alarming rate.

She was about to rush in when she saw Marcel tackle Klaus. The rest of the vampires backed up, including some of Klaus' hybrids and formed a circle around Klaus and Marcel.

"What is this?" snarled Klaus. "You know you cannot win."

"Full of yourself, as always," said Marcel, moving around Klaus.

Rebekah huffed at their testosterone-fueled grandstanding. Both Marcel and Klaus could be such drama queens. She started to push her way to the front of the crowd surrounding them.

"Stand down, Marcel," said Klaus, eyes locked on Marcel who was circling him. "Or would you risk the lives of all those that follow you in your quest to retain your crown?"

Rebekah frowned, knowing how much Marcel's men meant to him. Marcel had to know that Klaus wouldn't hesitate to slaughter them all. What was he playing at?

"My guys fight knowing they defend the rightful king of New Orleans," sneered Marcel. "They will never follow you."

Rebekah saw at once what Marcel was doing. Concealed quite cleverly from behind a cluster of Marcel's vampires was Sophie, clutching the gold dagger in her grasp.

Marcel's eyes never wavered from their glare at Klaus, but it was clear when Marcel stopped moving that his taunting words were merely a distraction.

Time seemed to stand still as she watched the witch sneak up on Klaus. All the times Klaus had daggered her, the years he'd stolen, the threats and harm he'd done to all the men who'd loved her came forward. The warning that welled up inside her died in her throat.

Klaus deserved this. Rebekah would ensure Marcel didn't toss his body in the ocean. What was a hundred years in a box, compared to all she'd suffered?

"It is not their loyalty that I once sought," said Klaus.

He looked at Marcel with regretful eyes.

Sophie made her move then, when Klaus' eyes were fixed on Marcel. Rebekah saw it and hesitated. It was barely half a second, but too late to stop the witch even if she'd wanted to.

But then those eyes. The ones that told her how full of regret her big brother was. How he'd always desired love and loyalty, even if he'd spent a millennium going about it the wrong way. And now that he had what he'd always wanted- a loyal pack, a devoted partner, pregnant with his offspring, he could see all the mistakes he'd made so clearly.

Rebekah wasn't sure what made her move. She only knew she'd never moved so fast in her life, even if it seemed an eternity.

Klaus turned at the sudden movement. She reconized surprise in his eyes when he saw her face, looking up at him in pain. And his eyes turned furious when he saw the gold dagger sticking out of her back.

She knew only darkness after that. But she knew she'd made the right decision when Klaus caught her gently in his arms, desiccated by the dagger that was meant for him.

o – o – o

Klaus fought to control his anger as he quickly, but softly placed Rebekah's body on the ground. He grabbed the hilt of the dagger and pulled it out, before turning his face to Sophie.

Sophie paled as his face turned feral, hybrid features on display as he let loose the full might of his anger.

Klaus flashed forward and grabbed Sophie's neck. To his surprise, no one stopped him.

"If you kill me..." she began, but Klaus growled and flicked his wrist, snapping her neck before she could say anything else.

Sophie's body crumpled to the ground and Klaus spun around, eyes fixed on Marcel. To his surprise, Marcel's back was to Klaus and he was crouched on the ground, next to Rebekah.

Klaus growled and moved forward, intent on killing Marcel once and for all, but when Marcel tore his face away from Rebekah to glance up, Klaus stopped his stride. The anguish and regret on Marcel's face was apparent and Klaus sighed, all fight leaving him.

Rebekah would recover, he had the dagger, and glancing around the crowd of vampires with his hybrids sprinkled amongst them, he thought perhaps, this could be finished without further bloodshed.

"You win," whispered Marcel, now looking down at Rebekah again. "New Orleans is yours."

o – o – o

Josie flopped down on the bed, looking around the bedroom she hadn't seen in two months. The bedroom Klaus had fashioned for himself in his house in Mystic Falls was more like a studio apartment, rather than a bedroom.

She had just finished eating dinner with Elijah in the dining room. His meeting with Carol Lockwood had been successful- they agreed the hybrid's bar could stay open, but would submit to regular police checks to ensure it was truly only 18 and over.

Josie knew Klaus would not be happy about the oversight, but was secretly glad Elijah was in town rather than Klaus.

Still, she missed Klaus and was worried about him. She hadn't wanted to leave New Orleans after having the vision of Marcel trapping Klaus in the compound and trying to dagger him, but she knew Klaus was more than capable of handling himself. He had insisted on using the opportunity to his advantage.

Josie sat up and grabbed her bag, pulling out the velvet ring case. She bit her lip as she opened it, still dazzled by how beautiful it was. Trying it out couldn't hurt, right?

She carefully pulled the ring from the case and slipped it over her ring finger. She smiled at how it sparkled. Klaus had even managed to find out her ring size. It fit perfectly.

Her phone rang and she tore her eyes away from her finger to look at it. She smiled and answered immediately.

"Hey."

"Hello, love. How is Mystic Falls?" asked Klaus.

"Good," she said, not wanting to talk about the whole Kai situation until she heard what had happened in New Orleans. "How did it go?"

He growled. "There was an unexpected turn of events, but in the end, I was victorious."

"Were there any... casualties?"

They had talked about whether or not Klaus was going to kill Marcel for his plotting. As well as daggering Kol and/or Rebekah. Klaus hadn't decided when last they'd spoke.

Klaus snarled and told her everything that had happened- from Sophie's unexpected betrayal, the two hybrids that had been killed and Rebekah's daggering.

"But you took the dagger out, right?" asked Josie, anxiously. "Rebekah and Kol weren't the ones plotting to dagger you."

"Kol did nothing to prevent it either," he responded angrily. "The dagger has already been removed from my dear sister. She still sleeps but will awaken soon."

"Please just think before you stick a dagger in him," said Josie, sighing. "He protected me all that time when I was clueless about who I was."

"He kept you away from me!" growled Klaus.

"I'm the one who ran away!" exclaimed Josie. "Kol and Rebekah had nothing to do with it. I was angry at you for keeping the truth from me. It was my decision and they kept me safe. If they hadn't brought me with them, I would have gone off on my own. Stupid, but I didn't know any better. They saved me from being taken by the Strix."

Klaus was silent, clearly not happy.

"Anyway," continued Josie. "I'm glad you're okay. What about Marcel?"

"He lives," said Klaus. "For now. But I've already spoken with him and he is vacating his rooms as we speak."

"So we're moving to the quarter then?" asked Josie.

"The wolves will also be returning," said Klaus. "And any of the pack that wishes to move from Mystic Falls. The one remaining elder of the witch coven has already collected Davina and I'm sure she'll be performing the Harvest ritual soon."

"But what about Celeste? You don't think she's truly dead, do you?"

Klaus sighed. "Her death was necessary. No doubt it will take her some time to regroup."

Josie wasn't sure she agreed, but didn't want to argue. The problem with Celeste was that Josie couldn't reveal the witch's ultimate goal without revealing Rebekah and Marcel's long-held secret- that they had called Mikael to New Orleans in 1919.

"I hope so," said Josie.

"Have you thought anymore about our discussion?"

"A little," Josie admitted. "The ring is beautiful. I might have tried it on."

"Are you wearing it now?" When she didn't answer, Klaus chuckled. "I suppose it's a start."

Josie smiled. "I do love you. You know my... hesitation has nothing to do with how I feel about you."

Someone said something on his end of the line.

"I've got to run," he said, sounding tired. "I'll see you the day after tomorrow."

Then he hung up.

o – o – o

Rebekah sat up with a start. She frowned, looking around the room.

"Recognize it?" asked Klaus.

"My old room," said Rebekah.

"Why did you do it?" asked Klaus in a whisper. "You obviously wanted me daggered. You helped Kol create this."

He held up the gold dagger.

"I never wanted to dagger you, Nik," said Rebekah.

"That's a lie," he growled.

"Alright, maybe I did," said Rebekah, shaking her head. "But it's no more than what you've done to me countless times! To Kol!"

"Then why stop them?"

Rebekah blinked. "I don't know. I was standing there, watching Sophie about to dagger you. And then... I was behind you."

"Why?"

"Is it so hard to believe that I love you, Nik?" asked Rebekah. "That I wish for nothing more than for us to be a family? As we once were?"

Klaus paused before speaking. "And what of the cure? I killed Finn and your only chance of becoming human."

Rebekah sighed. "I'm not happy about it, but I understand. I spent six weeks with Josie. Those children need all of us to protect them. They need our strength."

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean you intend to remain in New Orleans?"

"Maybe... If I'm welcome."

Klaus smiled. "You'll have to ask the new leader of New Orleans."

Rebekah sucked in a gasp. "Where is Marcel?"

"Packing his bags," said Klaus. "Is there a problem?"

She let out a sigh of relief. "I'm surprised you let him live."

Klaus sighed. "Perhaps I am not the monster you think me to be."

"Kicking him out of his house isn't exactly benevolent."

"It's more than he deserves," said Klaus in an angry tone. "More consideration than he intended to give me... However, with my newly enlarged pack behind me, I'm confident everyone will recognize that now is the time of the wolves. With a few, select vampires allowed of course."

Rebekah's jaw dropped. "You're kicking vampires out of the quarter?"

Klaus chuckled. "That's an idea. I hadn't intended anything quite so dramatic. Marcel and his former lackeys have accepted my new position. If they cause trouble, I'll kill every last one of them."

"And what of Kol?"

Klaus' face darkened.

"Don't dagger him, Nik. Please."

"I cannot allow his insolence to go unpunished," growled Klaus, looking at the gold dagger in his hand.

"His insolence?" Rebekah repeated angrily. "He only created the dagger so you'd hand over yours in exchange. It's not wrong to want freedom from your punishments, Nik. Mikael is dead. There's no reason to dagger him to keep the secret of our location any longer." Rebekah crossed her arms. "What does Josie think?"

Klaus growled. "Leave her out of this."

Rebekah sighed. "We're family, Nik. You have the gold dagger. Kol cares for those children too."

She got up and walked over to the door, clearly disappointed by his attitude towards Kol.

Klaus sighed heavily. "Tell Kol he has nothing to fear from me," he said in a harsh tone. "Elijah wouldn't be pleased when he returned and I'd like his support with the other factions."

Rebekah grinned widely. "And you shall have it. Mine as well." She turned to look at Klaus. "Always and forever."

 **A/N: Let me know what you thought! Next chapter will focus mostly on Mystic Falls as we have the wedding and its accompanying activities.**


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